Love For Within
by merwholock4ever
Summary: Berk has been cursed by a witch! If the Viking's don't learn their lesson when the sun sets on the fifth year, Berk's salvation will die. Will the Vikings learn in time? Does a Night Fury play a role? Astrid? I'm terrible at summaries. It's a good story though. Rated T for suggestive ideas. Just paranoid.
1. The Witch

Love For Within

Chapter 1: The Witch

_This is so stupid!_ Astrid thought angrily. _I could be practicing throwing my axe but no. My parents are dragging me to a stupid execution._

"Hey Astrid," a boy with blue eyes and black hair said as she joined the crowd in the town square. "You look as wonderful as today." Astrid cocked an eyebrow.

"What's so wonderful about today Snotlout?"

"Well, the execution, duh," a girl long blond hair said.

"Yeah, it's going to be awesome!" a boy that looked just like the other blond exclaimed.

"How is death awesome?" a large boy with blond hair and skinny legs asked.

"Uh, well, uh cause…" the boy tried to answer.

"Give him a couple of days, he'll come up with an answer," the other girl said. "He's slow like that."

"No, I'm not!" He punched his twin.

"Yes, you are!" She punched him back. Soon a brawl broke out between two. Astrid rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I still don't see how today is wonderful," Astrid said.

"I heard," another girl with black hair and green eyes said as she approached. "that we caught an Outcast in Berk."

"So? What does that have to do with anything Heather?"

"That's who everyone is gathered to see be executed," another girl with blond hair informed.

"That's what this is all about Camicazi? Really?"

"Why are you acting this way?" Ruffnut asked.

"You of all people should be the most excited," Snotlout said. Astrid cocked an eyebrow at this in confusion.

"You are the toughest Viking among us," Fishlegs explained.

Astrid sighed in frustration and rolled her eyes. Yes, she was considered the most promising Viking out of all her friends. She was tough, determined, focused, and deadly with an axe. Everyone knew that once she went for her axe they needed to run. Everyone except Snotlout and the twins of course. She just considered them too dumb to know any better.

"We're getting rid of another enemy," Snotlout added. "Not like I couldn't handle him on my own."

Astrid tuned him and the others out as they talked and bragged about how many of the enemy they will destroy when they get older. Astrid turned her sights to the center of town where the execution was to take place. All that was there was a tree stump and an axe leaning against it.

_So death by beheading. At least it's swift and painless, I think._

Astrid's attention was turned to her left when people started to quiet down. Approaching the center was the chief. Chief Stoick the Vast. His red beard reflected off of the early morning sun but his eyes burned brighter with anger.

"This morning," he bellowed. "We will rid Berk of another enemy. This Outcast was found not far from my own house most likely to do harm to Berk. As punishment, death by beheading."

Stoick looked as if he was about to speak again but Gobber, a large Viking with a missing hand and leg, past him with the accused in tow. Astrid was taken by surprise. The Outcast was not what she was expecting. She was expecting a large Viking with unruly hair and beard and covered in scars but this…this was not that. It was a woman. A middle aged woman with long black hair and piercing blue eyes. She was tall and muscular but not hulking. But what really interested Astrid was her eyes. She was expecting them to be full of fear and anger but instead they were wide and curious. Taking in every Viking she saw.

Astrid jumped slightly when she landed on her. Astrid felt as if she was looking into her very core and that made her very uncomfortable. Luckily, she was saved when the Outcast's attention suddenly went to Stoick. Astrid turned to see what had stopped her staring.

A small boy with reddish auburn hair and green eyes was trying to get the Chief's attention. He was wearing a long green tunic with brown pants and a dark brown fur vest. The boy's eyes were shining in the morning light and Astrid would have thought they looked even more enchanting if it was not for what she saw swimming in his eyes. He was completely scared. Horrified at was what was about to take place. He was sad and pleading.

"Please. You can't do this. She wasn't doing anything wrong. She was trying to find help," the boy cried out.

"Hiccup, she is an Outcast. The enemy. She must be destroyed. No exceptions," the Chief said without missing a beat.

"Just because she might be from there doesn't mean she's one of them. You remind me that every day," Hiccup said.

Astrid's eyes softened and saddened for he was right. Hiccup was the Chief's son and therefore had a certain standard to meet. However, Hiccup was nothing like a Viking should be. He was small, weak, kind, imaginative, intelligent, sarcastic, and very out spoken with his emotions and thoughts. Everyone thought him odd and a nuisance because he was so different. Now were Vikings strong, uncaring, idiotic beasts? No, not all of them. Stoick was quite smart for an average Viking. Gobber was considered the most caring even though he had a funny way of showing it. But Hiccup took all the wrongs of a Viking to the extreme. If the town and her parents didn't have expectations of her, she would rather spend her time with Hiccup.

"This is different," Stoick said. "She's the enemy. You're a Hooligan. A Berkian."

"I still don't see the difference," Hiccup argued back.

"Hiccup," Stoick said. "Get back behind me."

"But this is - " Hiccup started.

"NOW!" Stoick interrupted loudly causing everyone to freeze in fright. Hiccup, more than anyone. But he soon looked more defeated than scared as he down cast his eyes and slowly moved to where his father pointed. Astrid saw him say something quietly to himself and to her it looked like he said 'wrong' but she couldn't read lips.

_But what if he's right?_ Astrid thought. _Could she just have been looking for help?_

"Outcast," Stoick bellowed again drawing her attention back to reason why everyone was here. "Any last words before we send you to your death?"

What the Outcast did next put shivers down her spin. Instead of having a pleading look to the Chief she had a mischievous smile. She had a plan that she knew was going to work and she was ready to put it in motion. She stood up straighter and addressed all of Berk.

"You are all dimwitted and blind. You see someone for their labels and their skins. You never see who they really are and you don't bother to the take the time to learn." She turned to Stoick. "Your boy is right. What is the difference between him and me?" She turned back to the rest of the village. "I'm not what I seem Hairy Hooligans. I'm not an ordinary woman. I am a witch." Collective gasps could be heard going through the crowd.

"Well, that just gave Stoick even more of an incentive to kill her," Fishlegs muttered.

"Yeah, she really isn't helping her case," Ruffnut added.

"I came to judge you. And you have all failed. Well, except one. But you all need to be taught a lesson." She turned back to Stoick and pointed at him. "This I can assure you Chief Stoick. By this time tomorrow morning one of your own will be gone." Everyone gasped at this threat. Mothers held tighter to their babies and men stood to protect loved ones.

Astrid turned to Stoick to see his face but it was neutral. If he was intimidated, he didn't let on. Her attention then went to Hiccup who looked even more defeated than before but he had such fear in his eyes. More than everyone gathered together at the moment and this confused Astrid to no end.

The woman then turned to the rest of the village and began to chant.

"Berk's salvation, in your hands it will reside,

For it will be your enemy on the outside

Only when one with the strength to see beyond the skin

And learns to love for the beauty within

Will Berk's salvation be restored.

May the gods be in your favor,

For when the sun sets on the fifth year

And you have not succeeded, your salvation will die.

The remaining time you should savor

With the one that you secretly hold dear

For if you fail, they will forever bid good bye.

You brought this upon yourselves

With your shallow ideas and eyes.

The truth, you abandon like books on shelves

Change your eyes or your salvation dies!"

When she finished, she looked sternly at Stoick. They had a starring contest that seemed to go on for ages when it was barley a few seconds.

Astrid was the first to break out of her shock of what the Outcast said. She looked around and saw the fear on everyone's faces. Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, Heather, and Camicazi looked as if they had soiled their pants. She then looked at Hiccup expecting the same reaction but instead saw him try to make himself smaller. When he finally looked up he had fear and pity in his eyes.

_Pity? _Astrid thought _Pity for the woman? The woman you just cursed someone? Or pity for the one she just cursed?_

"Proceed with the execution," Stoick yelled. He then stepped forward and addressed the Witch. "If you really are a witch, who did you just curse?"

She smiled knowingly at Stoick and said with great assurance, "I've made my choice Stoick and I'm not going to tell you. It would ruin the curse. You'll just have to figure it out."


	2. A Hiccup Encounter

Thank you all for the wonderful comments and reviews. It's been so exciting what with this being my first story and all.

I'm doing my best to be true to the characters' personalities but if you see that I'm veering off course please let me know. Sometimes I have an idea and it doesn't see the light of day on paper.

Thanks again for the wonderful comments!

* * *

"End this witch's life," Stoick yelled.

The executioner forced her to her knees in front of the tree stump and pushed her head down on the stump. Astrid was confused when she didn't see fear in her eyes. Instead it was…

_Is she trying to silently trying to apologize to someone?_

Astrid followed the witch's eyes and landed on Hiccup, who was standing next to the Larsons. He didn't even see her expression but the Larsons did and began to shake in fear for they saw her looking at them. Even Stoick saw it and turned to see who she was looking at. It's hard to distinguish in a crowd who someone is looking at. She could have been looking at anyone behind Stoick.

Hiccup was looking at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Astrid heard the axe being raised above the witch's head but she ignored it trying to figure out who the witch was looking at.

_Hiccup tried to defend her, so she wouldn't punish him. _She then looked at the Larsons. _Could it be one of them? Their boy hasn't been feeling well lately. _She looked at Stoick. _He would be a good choice but I think she wants him to learn the lesson. _She looked at Gobber who was next to him. _Gobber maybe? He repairs all our weapons. He would hard to live without. _

Astrid snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Hiccup flinched outwardly as the axe collided with the stump. He looked up and she saw horror in his eyes. She then saw that they began to water and his face go pale as he ran out of the crowd.

"Oh! Man! That's a lot of blood!" Ruff jabbed at Astrid, bringing her back to the center. Astrid turned to look but immediately looked somewhere else. Not that blood and gore made her queasy or anything, she just didn't like the still open blues eyes that seemed to be looking at her.

"Oooo! The body's still twitching!" Tuff exclaimed.

"Ha! Not so powerful now are ya," Snotlout teased.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Fishlegs stated quietly.

"Stop being a baby Fish," Camicazi said. "She's dead. She can't do any more harm."

As soon as everyone was satisfied that the witch was dead, the crowd began to disperse. Astrid followed her friends to the Mead Hall for breakfast. They were chatting about…well Astrid really didn't care. She was still thinking about the witch and what she said.

_Why did she do that? To learn a lesson but what lesson? How can we learn without knowing what it will be about? Who was she starring at in the last moments of her life? Hiccup? The Larsons? Stoick? Gobber? Why wasn't she afraid to die? Did she want to die? Did she know she was going to die and was okay with that? Why was Hiccup trying to defend her? Was he right about there being no difference between him and her? _

"Astrid!" Heather yelled and shoved her out of her thoughts.

Astrid reacted on instinct and punched Heather in the face and yelled, "What?"

"Heather," Ruff said. "You should know better than to startle Astrid."

"Be lucky she didn't break your neck," Tuff added. The twins high fived.

"What's wrong, babe," Snotlout asked trying to sound concerning but failing. In the 'trying to seduce' department, he was making bank. "You're haven't paid attention to me since the execution." He then put his arm around her shoulder.

Astrid pushed his arm off and rolled her eyes, "I've never paid attention to you." A collection of 'ohs' came from the twins and Camicazi. "I'm just thinking about what the witch said. Who do you think she was talking about?"

"What do you mean?" Heather asked holding a piece of cloth to her nose.

"Who do you think she meant when she said one of us would be gone?"

The teens suddenly went quiet and their faces went neutral. Astrid had just spoken the question that they didn't want to answer or even think about. They all heard and feared what the witch said. They feared that it might be one of them.

"I-I-I don't know Astrid," Fishlegs was the first to break the silence.

"It could be anyone," Camicazi said.

"But she did say something about Berk's salvation. Maybe it's the person who will most likely save Berk?" Heather suggested.

"Well that narrows it down," Ruff said as she rolled her eyes.

"Yep. Down to me," Tuff said trying to liven up the mood but failing. Ruff punched him in the gut in distaste.

"If she was talking about saving Berk, it would me."

"Now's not the time for your ego, Snotlout," Camicazi hissed.

"Maybe, maybe she was just trying to scare us into not killing her," Fishlegs suggested hopefully. The others agreed wanting to forget the threat. Astrid wasn't so convinced.

_Did no one else see how confident she was?_ She was immediately snapped out of her thoughts when a large clatter happened to her right.

"Watch where you're going, Useless," Snotlout sneered down at the person he just tripped. Astrid moved her body to see that Hiccup was lying on the floor soaked by his now empty mug. He got up, put the mug up, and walked out of the Hall. "And to think that that talking Fishbone is suppose to be the new chief."

Astrid rolled her eyes as she grabbed her dishes to put them in the washing tub.

"Hey, why you leaving so early?" Camicazi asked. The other teens looked at her confused. She was usually the last one of them to leave the Hall.

"I'm going to go practice throwing my axe," she stated. "The execution had thrown off my schedule." With that she turned, placed her dishes in the tub and ran out of the Hall.

* * *

As she walked through the village, she passed Chief Stoick and Gobber talking.

"I'm telling you Gobber, I will not take a witch's threat lightly. I want there to be three times the guards tonight on full alert. No one is to enter or leave Berk."

"So, should we set a curfew for tonight?" Gobber asked.

"Not a bad idea. Everyone needs to be in their houses by sundown. Spread the word."

Astrid started to run. _Damn! I do my best practice at sunset. Well, if I want ample time to practice, I need to get there fast._ She made it to her favorite spot and began to throw her axe at the tree that was now her target. For two hours she had practiced, all the while thinking about the witch. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't see Hiccup in front of her target till after she let go of the handle.

"Hiccup! Look out!" she screamed.

Hiccup looked up just in time to duck out of the way but the axe still nicked his shoulder.

_Stupid witch. She's dead and she almost made me kill Hiccup._ "What are you doing in my area?"

Hiccup looked around as if looking for something. "I don't see your name anywhere."

Astrid gapped at him. _Is he making fun of me?_ She started to get angry and approach Hiccup. Hiccup saw how livid she was and started to back away but was stopped by the tree. "Are you making fun of me?" Astrid asked.

"I really need to keep my mouth shut," Hiccup mumbled to himself as he starred at the angry girl. "No, I wasn't making fun, I-I-I uh was just you know stating a fact."

Astrid softened when she realized he wasn't at fault here. Sort of. This was the forest. Anyone could be in it. "Fine. But what were you doing besides not paying attention and almost getting killed?"

"I-I-uh was um just thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing," Hiccup said as his eyes went distant with concern. Astrid saw this and backed off a bit. She bent down and picked up her axe.

"You're a terrible liar. What were you thinking about?" She then saw that he was holding his left arm. She looked closer and saw red seeping through his fingers. "I hit you? Let me see. Are you alright?"

"Why do you care?" Hiccup asked.

This took Astrid off guard. She wasn't expecting this answer. She wanted to be mad at him but couldn't. _Why am I caring? He's the runt, an outcast. Why am I caring? Well, because you almost killed him that's why. _She realized that this **_was_**the first time she actually was taking the time to be concerned with him let alone talk to him freely. "Because I want to know if you're hurt badly and if what you were thinking about was worth your life."

Hiccup's eyes went wide with shock. But very quickly that went away and his eyes radiated with fear and pain. Astrid, herself, began to feel her heart quicken due to the sudden change and power of it. _I must have hit him good._

"I was-I was thinking about Gothel," Hiccup finally stuttered.

"Gothel? Who's Gothel?"

"The Outcast, the witch that was…" he trailed off.

"That was her name?" Hiccup nodded. "How do you know her name?"

"Because she told me." His face cringed in pain and let out a small gasp. He looked up to see Astrid giving him an unsure, worried and confused look.

"Sit down and let me look at it," she demanded. "And tell me about the witch."

"Gothel." She gave him a stern look. He sighed and sank down to the floor. "I found her before my dad did." Hiccup began. Astrid sat down next to him to hear his side of the story and to examine the wound.


	3. Two Truths, One Story

Thanks to all of you who gave me such encouraging words. I really needed them and they totally made my day.

I would have posted earlier but I just drove 12 hours back to my hometown for my sister's graduation and was completely beat. Did I rest? No. I was immediately thrust into helping out for her party and such and just now given the time to post the next chapter.

So, here's Hiccup's side of the story. Hopefully, I got across some Hicstrid. Enjoy!

* * *

"I was behind my house drawing in my journal when I heard her come through the bushes. At first, I was scared at a stranger suddenly appearing in my backyard but then I noticed that she was injured. So I put up my journal and went up to her to help her. Ahh!" He yelped when Astrid touched where the axe had made its mark.

"Sorry," Asrid said. She produced a clean cloth and began to wrap it. _He willing went to help a stranger? That's brave._ "Proceed."

"I sat her down not too far where she entered and saw that she had a large gash on her arm. Kind of like mine at the moment." She looked up at him expecting him to be mad but he was giving her a forgiving smile.

_He's joking about his injury? What person does that? I know we Vikings boast about their scares but they never joke about them._

"She told me that she was running to find someone to help her. Running from the ones that hurt her. She had been running for hours and was really tired and hungry. I got her a drink and asked her who had done this. She said her husband and his brothers, on Outcast Island."

Astrid looked up at him again and gave him a shocked look. "You knew? And yet you still helped her and even tried to defend her at the execution?"

" I'm not stupid, Astrid. I know that the Outcasts are our enemy. I was just as shocked and I was terrified but then I relaxed. She saw my shocked reaction and asked if it was a problem that she's from Outcast Island. I told her no because she was hurt and looking for help."

"You ignored the fact that she was the enemy to help her?" He nodded. _Unbelievable! He could have died! Trusting someone that quickly could have gotten him killed._ "Trusting someone that easily will get you killed."

"I could just ignore her Astrid. I wanted to but my heart told me opposite of my mind."

"Your heart?" He looked down at his lap and began to turn red.

"Not very Viking, I know, but I wouldn't have been able to sleep well the next few nights if I had ignored her."

"So, you did what you thought was right?" Astrid asked. He nodded again, still looking at his lap. "Anyway. Continue."

"She seemed satisfied with that answer and smiled at me and I smiled back."

Astrid looked at him again. _He makes it sound like no one's ever smile at him before._

"I went to get some clean cloth to clean her wound but when I came back, my dad was there with some warriors and taking her away. He yelled at her saying that no Outcast will get near our house. I tried to tell dad what she told me and she apparently told him that same but he didn't care. She was from the enemy and that was enough." He huffed in frustration then relaxed. By this time, Astrid had finished wrapping his arm and was just listening.

"Now, with what she said at the execution, I don't know if her story is still true. She could have made it up to see what would happen or it could have really been true." He then looked in front of him and seemed to just be talking to himself, like he forgot Astrid was there.

"But if she had really come to judge Berk, was her encounter with me part of her test? Did I pass or did I condemn Berk? And what about her threat? Will it come true? If so, then who was she talking about? My dad's taking it seriously so it must be the real deal."

Astrid was surprised at Hiccup. He was telling her his mind. His fears and he seemed comfortable with it. But what really surprised Astrid was how she herself was comfortable listening to him. She had never sat still long enough to listen to someone completely and yet here she was. Sitting next to the outcast of the village and quietly listening to his fears. In fact, she was completely blown out of her mind about what had just transpired between them.

Astrid sat there and thought about his side of the story. _I'm shocked. He was willing to help a stranger, ignore the fact she was the enemy, and risk his father's wrath to try and help her. He definitely has some backbone. Wait! Could that be the lesson she wants us to learn? To not judge by appearances? But that's an impossible task. Everyone judges by appearances. It's human nature. _

She looked back at Hiccup and saw the guilt in his eyes. _But he did have a point. Was his encounter part of the test? Did it matter or did it help make her judgment?_ But then she remembered that the wit-Gothel said only one passed her test. _No, his encounter didn't condemn Berk. I think his encounter was the good thing that she experienced while she was here._ _But he blames himself. He's really beating himself up about it._

"I don't think you're encounter helped condemn Berk," Astrid said breaking the silence. Hiccup jumped and remembered where he was.

"What do you mean?" he asked looking confused.

"She said that one person passed her test and I think she meant you. You were the only one she encountered that past her test. You were kind and caring to her despite where she was from. I think she was looking for that."

Hiccup thought about it and then smiled a crooked smile at her. "That's one worry out of the way."

Astrid saw the sun was almost at sunset. "Hey, we should get back."

"Why?"

"Didn't you hear the Chief's command?" Astrid asked. _How could the Chief's son not know about the curfew? _ "He has set a curfew. Everyone is to be in their homes by sunset."

"Oh," Hiccup said. He looked at the sun and got up. "No, I didn't hear that. I've been in the forest since breakfast. Must have left before his announcement. We should go then."

Astrid and Hiccup headed back to the village in silence. Every once in a while she snuck a glance at Hiccup. As the sun began to set, the light danced with his worried green eyes. _He's still caught up with that wit- Gothel. He's devastated. And pained?_

"Oh, um," Hiccup started and Astrid looked at him. "Thanks for the bandaging. I didn't know you could do that."

"My mom forced me to learn how. I didn't know it would come in handy so soon."

"Well, thanks again." They looked away and continued their walk in silence.

She looked again at him and saw how well his eyes matched with the forest. Not to mention his untamed hair. She couldn't imagine anyone else being able to pull it off so well. She then began to think about the way she and the others in the village had been treating him.

_I don't understand why the village is so against him. He's not bad once you get to know him. Yes, he can't pick up a weapon but what does holding a weapon have to do with leading a village? I don't see a screw up here. I see someone who is actually thinking about the events of today. Someone who is concerned if what happened was the right thing to do. After hearing his side of the story, I'm not sure that we did._

"Um, Astrid," Hiccup said breaking her out of her thoughts.

"What?" Astrid said turning to him.

"We're here," he said as he pointed in front of him. She turned to see the village right there. Almost. "You go on ahead of me. If you're seen with me, people will start to talk. I don't want your reputation ruined by me."

Astrid cocked an eyebrow at him. _He's worried about her status? No one's thought of her before themselves and yet here is the village reject, who she had never talked to before, doing just that. Why?_ She nodded and started to walk away.

"Oh! Astrid!" he called making her stop and look at him. "Umm-thanks." She tilted her head in confusion. "Thanks for back there. You know uh what you um said. Thanks."

Astrid looked at him and saw an overflow of gratitude radiating from his forest green eyes. She smiled slightly at him. "You're welcome. But no-"

"Mentioning it to anyone. I know. I won't."

Astrid was taken aback by him finishing her sentence. She nodded and continued to walk to the village.

_I talked to him once and he's shocked me more in a few hours than I have been my entire life. What's wrong with me? I'm never that unprepared. I guess I need to spend more time with him. That's it! Tomorrow, I will hang out with him and maybe I won't be so surprised by him. But then again, he's Hiccup. He's very unconventional._

She entered her house to be greeted by her parents and sat down for dinner. She ate in silence, thinking about Gothel and Hiccup, as her parents talked about the upcoming trading voyage which they would take part.

_Are they not a bit worried about Gothel's threat? It could be anyone. Even me._

After dinner, she went up to her room and prepared for bed but as she began to settle in, a feeling crept into her stomach. She sat up and starred at the wall. Her breathing increased and her stomach knotted endlessly.

_Something bad is going to happen. I've had this feeling before and nothing good has come from it._

The last time she had this feeling was the night her brother, Aiden, was killed in an Outcast attack. She shook it off as being worried for her parents' voyage and forced herself to sleep.


	4. Curse Fulfilled

Thanks for all the comments once again. They were fantastic! I know a lot of you are wondering what Dagur's role will be, well. The next chapter will introduce him. He's a pretty big part of the plot. You'll see.

Well, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! :)

* * *

When she woke the next morning, Astrid felt as if someone had been twisting her stomach all night. She felt so tired, horrible and sick that she didn't even want to get out of bed, but that was not Astrid's way doing things. She slowly got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast. They were chattering away, once again, about their trip.

"Aren't you worried?" Astrid asked them. They stopped and turned her.

"Worried about what Astrid?"

"About what the witch said yesterday, Dad."

"No," Astrid's mom said. "That wasn't real. She was just trying to scare us. You know we don't believe in that kind of thing."

"Oh."

"Why do you ask?" Astrid's dad questioned.

"No reason. Everyone else seems to believe it."

She sat down at the table and her parents produced a bowl of food before her. She, however, didn't eat and instead just starred and poked at her food. Her parents saw this and began to be a little conserned.

"Are you alright Astrid?" her mom asked.

"You haven't touched your food," her dad added.

"I'm not hungry."

"Why?" her mom asked.

"All night I had this horr –" she started but was interrupted when a Viking barged in.

"Everyone's gathering at the town square. Something terrible has happened."

Astrid and her parents looked at each other then quickly got up and ran to the town square. The closer Astrid got, the stronger the feeling got in her gut.

She looked around the crowd to find her friends but couldn't find them at all. _No. They couldn't have been the ones Gothel was talking about. No. Please. Don't be so._

"Oh good!" Heather called from behind her. Astrid smiled and turned to her.

"Well, at least one of you are okay."

"What do you mean one?" Tuff asked as he appeared as well, but not only him, but the rest of her friends.

"I couldn't find you and thought it was one of you that we were gathered for."

"Weird. We thought it was you for a second," Snotlout said.

"Really?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah. We've were looking for fifteen minutes and couldn't find you," Camicazi informed.

Astrid looked around at her friends and saw that everyone was there. _Ok, so if it wasn't one of us, I wonder who? _

Astrid and her group of friends made their way deeper into the village square and was able to see Stoick in the middle of the questioning crowd with Gobber by his side.

"Oh man. It must have been something horrible," Fishlegs said. "Stoick looks distraught."

Astrid looked at Stoick and realized that Fishlegs was right. Stoick look completely heartbroken. But she also noticed something else. He was holding something in his hands but couldn't get a good look with everyone getting in her way.

"I've only seen Uncle Stoick like that once," Snotlout said. "Oh man, I've got a horrible feeling. I think I'm going to be sick."

"You too?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah. I've had it all night."

"Me too. I didn't sleep very where."

"Wow. We must all be connected of something because I had the same experience," Heather said. Everyone else nodded, admitting to the same experience.

"It must be someone that we really know if we all had the same feeling," Camicazi said.

"But we're all here," Ruff said.

Astrid nodded and looked at Stoick again. _Whatever he's holding, he's clutching it tightly._ Astrid decided she need to find out what it was and started to make her way through the crowd.

"Where are you going?" Ruff yelled but was ignored.

As she made her way through the crowd to get a better look, she got a glimpse of Gobber and saw that he had the same look as well.

_Gobber too? What has happened? Who was it? Who was cursed?_

Gobber, sighed and started to speak as she continued to move through the crowd. "Last night, the witch's threat was fulfilled." Everyone started to mumbled in worried tones. "We all hoped that it wasn't going to happen but it did."

"Who was it?" Someone asked.

Gobber sighed and continued. "In fact, she doubled her threat. We lost two souls."

"What!" Astrid exclaimed along with the loud choir from the crowd.

"Gustav Larson died last night from a raging fever that suddenly took him. Gothi was unable to stop the sickness. He died at the age of six."

Astrid saw Mrs. Larson not far from Gobber crying into her hands. Next to her was Mr. Larson trying to comfort her but she could see the pain in his face as well. Astrid heard many people give exclamations of 'I'm sorry' and 'He's in Valhalla now' and she too felt pity for the boy and his mother.

Astrid finally made it to where she could see Stoick properly and now had a better look at what was in his hands. At first she couldn't make out what it was. It was small, brown, torn to shreds, bloodied, and oddly familiar.

"The other soul is one that was close to my heart. One I came to look at as a nephew."

Then Astrid realized what Stoick was holding. Her eyes went wide and her heart started beating faster. _Oh Thor no. Please, don't let it be true. Please don't be true._

" A dragon got past our defenses last night and killed Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III." The entire crowd gasped. She heard a mixture of 'Oh, no', 'Who will be Chief now', and 'Poor Stoick'.

_No, no, no. Odin above. Please no. I wanted to get to know him better. Why was he taken?_ She then remembered Gothel's threat. _"By this time tomorrow morning one of your own will be gone." _She then looked over to where the stump was still stained with blood.

* * *

Everyone was so upset with the loss of two children in one night. Especially the parents. The Larsons had gone to bury their only son and Stoick was not seen for the rest of the day. When the Larson's came back, everyone was comforting them and some tried to comfort Stoick but to no avail. Not even Gobber could get to him.

Astrid ran up to him still hoping that they were wrong. "Gobber," she called. He stopped walking and turned to her with a gloomy face. "Are you sure that Hiccup's gone?"

"I there no hope that he's ok?" Snotlout asked.

Astrid turned around, surprised by his sudden appearance. She looked behind him and saw the rest coming their way as well.

"No, Snotlout," Gobber said. "There isn't any hope. I saw his room. His bed was knocked over, his desk broken in half, claw marks everywhere. Then there was the blood. Oh Thor! It was all over the floor but there was no body. His clothes were torn to shreds and covered in blood."

"How do you know it was a dragon?" Camicazi asked.

"Because there were dragon prints all over his room in his blood. It must have come through the window because the prints indicate that's how it left." Gobber stopped talking and bowed his head. It looked like he was about to cry but he was a Viking and Vikings don't cry. He then looked up and said, "But Hiccup gave the dragon a good fight to have his room in such a destroyed state."

"Then why didn't we hear anything?" Fishlegs asked. "Especially Stoick?"

"Stoick and I were out late last night patrolling. We thought that the witch was going to have an Outcast take someone. We didn't even think of the possibility of a dragon or natural causes. We should have known we couldn't stop a witch's curse, no matter how many guards we posted."

"So, who was the one she actually cursed?" Heather asked.

"Both probably. I know she said one, but she's a witch. She could have changed her mind." The teens nodded and Gobber weakly waved his hand good-bye and walked to his smithy. In the privacy of the walls, he silently cried. Little did everyone else know, Stoick was doing the same thing in Hiccup's room.

Outside, the teens just stood there, in silence, looking at the ground. They were all thinking about their encounters with Hiccup and silently began to hate themselves for the way they treated him.

"I thought that becoming the next in line for Chief would feel amazing," Snotlout said finally breaking the silence. He had this strange feeling in his chest since the news of his cousin's death, like his heart was being suffocated. Maybe it was the once described emotion of caring.

"I thought I'd be cheering for you," Camicazi said.

"I'm surprised at you Snotlout," Fishlegs said. "You always hated Hiccup."

"I didn't hate him," Snotlout snapped. The teens looked at each other in shock then at Snotlout. They waited for him to explain. "I was just jealous of him. He would have been a great chief. I saw it. That's why I teased him. I never hated him. He was my cousin. Fishbone and all."

"That was deep," Heather said and everyone agreed. They bowed their heads in shame for how they treated Hiccup once again. They made his life miserable and now they couldn't say sorry.

Astrid couldn't stand it there anymore. She left the group to be alone with her thoughts.

_Hiccup's gone. Just when I was getting to know him. Just when I wanted to get to know him. Just one meeting and I liked him. He was so different yet appealing. I so wanted to get to know him better but now I won't have that opportunity. Damn status! If I hadn't been so worried about what the village would think, I would have met him sooner. _

As she thought and walked aimlessly around the village, she found herself at the chief's house. In fact, his backyard. She looked around at the setting where Hiccup's story took place, where she had heard and seen who Hiccup was and hung her head.

Then she became livid. _Why?! Hiccup was the only one to show her kindness. Why would she make him pay for the blindness of Berk? He didn't deserve that. Damn you Gothel! Hiccup was innocent! He didn't deserve it!_ Astrid turned and punch the side of the house causing the wall to dent and some of the logs stacked next to it fall to the floor.

She was about to leave when something under the pile of logs caught her attention. She went to pick it up and discovered it was a journal. It wasn't anything fancy, like she thought she'd find at the chief's house. It was conservative. Humble. It was just a plain, brown, yak skinned covered journal.

_Didn't Hiccup say something about a journal?_ She turned to the front page and saw on the bottom **To: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, From: Mom**. She quickly flipped through it and saw that most of the pages were written on.

She was going to look inside but decided against it. _This is Hiccup's thoughts and desires. No one should read this._ But that didn't mean she was going to put it back and let it rot. No, she was going to keep it safe. A memory of the impression he had on her in just a few hours.

She took it back to her room and hid it in her drawers under all of her clothes. She then continued her day as if it was normal, even though it was far from it. She went to bed and fell into an uneasy sleep.

A few hours later she was startle awake by the warning horns.

"Dragon Raid," she whispered. She quickly got dressed, grabbed her axe, and went to join the others.

The adults were in a rage. With everything that had happened in the short few hours, they were ready to fight out their feelings, since they don't really vent their emotions well any other way, and the dragons were the victims. She saw the Larsons totally butcher a Nadder in their anguish and Gobber had killed a Gronkle and a Zippleback. But the one that was doing the most damage was Stoick. He was stopping dragons left and right. He had lost his son to a dragon so the dragons were going to pay. The dragons quickly got the idea to stay away from him if they wanted to survive the night.

As Astrid was putting out a fire, she saw something in the corner of her eye. She turned but nothing was there. A few minutes later, she saw it again. But nothing. Then finally, she saw it. It was a dragon that was dodging in the shadows. Astrid dropped her bucket and started to stalk it.

When she saw it, she couldn't believe her eyes. It was all black and sleek with a long tail and wide wings. In its nostrils, Astrid could have sworn they were glowing blue. It huffed what sounded like a sigh and the blue went away. It seemed to be focused on the battle raging on the other side of the houses.

_It's distracted. Now's your chance._

She tightly gripped her axe and started running toward it with her fiercest battle cry. She raised her axe to give the mortal blow but then stopped in her tracks. The dragon looked right at her with his large green eyes. Didn't move, didn't fire. Just stared at her. She didn't stop because it was starring at her but because of what she saw in its eyes. It wasn't anger or hatred. No, it wasn't that at all. It was sadness and fear.

She was completely taken aback. A dragon was ruthless and uncaring. Monsters. But this dragon was showing her something she was never taught a dragon could have. Fear. Sadness. But that's what those eyes were conveying. But they did something else. They gave her…something. She couldn't describe it. But those eyes, she couldn't describe them either. All that she knew was that they were familiar.

She didn't realize it, but she slowly began to lower her axe as they continued to stare at each other. It seemed like minutes but it was only seconds. The dragon then broke the connection when it heard a noise and bolted into the woods. She continued to stand there in disbelief, confusion, and wonder. She shook her head and came to reality to realize that the raid was over.

She walked back to her house in a dazed state. Her parents took this as a sign that she'd been harmed in the raid.

"Astrid!" her mother panicked. "Are you alright?"

"Are you hurt?"

Astrid shook her head in silence.

"Then what happened?" her dad asked. "You look stunned."

"Nothing happened," Astrid said softly. "I'm just exhausted from everything."

After her parents checked her over to see that she was okay and were satisfied she was safe, she went to bed.

Before she fell asleep, she whispered to herself, "I saw a Night Fury."


	5. 5 Years LaterAlmost

Thank you all who have been following my story. This is all so exciting.

This chapter takes place after a large time jump. It's not immediately after the last chapter.

A lot of you having been wondering Dagur's role...well...here you find out! Enjoy!

* * *

Astrid had grown into a gorgeous woman. She exceeded what the village thought she'd be. She was the best with weapons and tough in battle. She even out did most of the men in the village. She even crushed Snotlout, but what else was new? Because of this success, she was sought after by every available guy in the village and even some who weren't available.

But there was a dark side to this beauty and success. For the past five years, she had grown cold, distant, isolated, secretive, and angry. Some say it was from the death of her parents in their last trading voyage. Part of that was true but part was from something else that she couldn't put her finger on. Only one person knew the real reason.

But another major factor to her angry and solitary personality was the fact that everyone kept making passes at her. She could gladly say that Snotlout had reduced his number down considerably but it was the sudden wave from everyone else that continuously annoyed her.

"How is my Astrid?"

Astrid clenched her hands. _I'm not in the mood for this maniac. _"What Dagur?"

"I'm just concerned for your wellbeing my love," a young boy, at least three years older from her senior, with red hair and three scares across his left eye tried to woe her.

"One Dagur, I'm not your love and two you only want one thing from me and you won't get it."

From somewhere else in the village Astrid heard two girls talking.

"What is her problem?"

"He's the perfect Viking."

She turned to walk away but Dagur grabbed her wrist and turned her around.

"Oh, my dear, I will get what I want and I want you." Astrid went to punch him with her free hand but Dagur grabbed it and pinned her up against the wall. She was trapped and couldn't get free. Dagur was one of the few men she hadn't beaten out for the best in the village.

"You will be mine and you will everything I say. You'll be a good little wife to me."

"I will be nothing of the sort. Especially your wife." He began to lean in to take a forced kiss from her and she began to squirm in his grip which made him smile. "You're crazy if you think that you'll get me bend to your will." she spat.

Dagur smiled even wider and Astrid could see the lust in his eyes that made her heart stop. "Oh, but didn't you hear? I'm Deranged. Dagur the Deranged."

"I don't care what you call yourself, I will never be yours!"

He tightened his grip and closed the small space between them and started to lean toward her natural red lips. He was close, so close to Astrid's lips when salvation came.

"Hey!" a girl yelled. "Get off of her you pervert." Dagur turned to see Ruffnut, Camicazi, Heather, Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs standing behind him with intent to beat his arse if he didn't do as they said.

Dagur laughed and slowly let go of Astrid but still remained close. "Looks like your rescue is here. How unfortunate. We'll meet again and I'll get what I want." Astrid glared at him and punched him in the gut which he barley flinched at. He laughed and walked away.

"Thanks Ruff," Astrid said after Dagur had disappeared.

"Are you okay beautiful," Snotlout asked.

Astrid glared at him as did Camicazi. "Don't you have a girlfriend Snotlout?"

"Yeah, of course I do. Cami's my angel, but doesn't mean I will stop worrying about you."

Astrid rolled her eyes and Cami said," You better believe I'm your angel."

"Did he hurt you?" Fishlegs asked.

"No. I'm fine. More shaken than anything else. He's a real creep."

"You can say that again," Heather agreed and shuttered. Tuffnut saw this and put his arms around her. She smiled at him.

"He wouldn't touch you again," Tuff said.

Ruff contorted her face into one of disgust and said, "Get a room you two."

"Like you should be talking sis. I've put up you and Fish over there living it up in the living room."

Fishlegs went red while Ruff went red from anger and attacked her brother.

"I'm going home now if you don't mind," Astrid said as the twins brawled on the floor.

"Hey! Wait!" Ruff yelled pushing her brother away to chase after Astrid. "Are you sure everything's fine?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't be?"

"Let's see. You're the only woman in Berk without someone, you have a very short temper, you don't like to talk to people-"

"I'm talking to you aren't I?"

"Yes, but not as much as before. You constantly want to be alone, you spend more time in the woods than in Berk, you haven't smiled in five years and I know cause I've tried to get you to laugh and failed, and you're distant from everyone. Even us."

"I think I've smiled once in five years."

"Um, no you haven't."

"Whatever." Astrid shrugged her shoulders and walked silently.

Ruff rolled her eyes. "This is what I'm talking about."

"You just gestured to all of me."

"Yes I did because all of you is the problem!" Astrid shook her head at Ruff. "So, what did Dagur want this time?"

"Oh the usual. You'll be mine, date me, I want to kiss you, I'm the best so I deserve the best, you're the prize I'm going to win."

"You're not a prize," Ruff said. "More like the challenge to win the prize."

"He went a step further today."

"Oh? What did he say?"

"He said that I was going to be his wife and do everything he says."

"Yeah right."

"Then he tried to forcibly kiss me, as you saw."

"He's such a maniac! How the other girls find him attractive, I don't know."

"You don't find him attractive either?" Astrid asked.

"He's not bad looking and if I didn't have Fish, I might go on a date with him but his personality is just too much. Why don't you find him attractive?"

"I don't know," Astrid said. "I don't find anyone attractive in that sense. Yeah, there are plenty of good looking guys but they are still repulsive to me."

"Well, what do you like?"

"I don't know. All I know is that no one here has it."

"Well, figure it out soon. People are starting to say you'll be a Virgin to the day you die."

"Ha!" Astrid gave a fake laugh. "You're funny."

"I know." They had reached Astrid's home and Astrid opened the door. "I'll see you later."

"Bye Ruff."

Astrid walked into her home and felt a pang of sadness hit her heart. Even though her parents had been gone for five years, well almost five years, she still missed them and being reminded of them every day just didn't help. She went over to the kitchen and made herself a simple meal of fish and bread. While she ate she got a usual visitor.

"How are you today Astrid?"

"I'm fine Gobber. How about you?"

"Oh, it was really busy at the smithy today. If only I had someone to help with the work."

"You did. Remember Hic-" then she stopped herself and looked at Gobber. His expression was one of pain and sadness. Even after years after Hiccup's death, Gobber still felt sad at the loss of his 'nephew'. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, it's fine. Someone needs to remember him right?" He then sat down across from her, looked at her then smiled. "But I do miss him. Oh, he had the greatest punch lines."

Astrid smiled at him. She was glad he had such memories of him but she was also jealous.

"But word on the street is that Dagur kissed ya today."

Astrid stopped her gag reflex and looked at Gobber with a 'really' look.

"I'm guessing that's a yes then?"

"A big wopping, thank Thor Almightly, no. He was close but thanks to Ruff and everyone, he didn't succeed," she spouted angrily. She then smiled and said, "I did punch him the gut."

Gobber laughed. "That's the Astrid I know. But rumor also is that you have denied everyone to courting you. Dagur says that because of this you are immediately his."

Astrid laughed. "In his dreams maybe. I'll never be his."

"But what about the rest of it? Have you really denied everyone?" Astrid nodded grimly and Gobber sighed. "I promised your parents that I would look after you and that means to make sure you succeed in life and find a good husband. You can't keep doing this Astrid. One day, someone's going to force you to marry against your will and I won't be able to stop it."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do I have to find someone? I don't see why?"

"It's tradition Astrid."

"Well, it's stupid."

"There must be someone who sparks your interest?"

"Not in the least."

"But there are several perfect specimen Viking men in Berk. Tall, muscular-

"And not what I'm looking for," Astrid finished. Gobber looked at her in confusion. "I know that Viking men are supposed to be that way but I don't like that. I tolerate it but I'm not attracted to it."

"Then what are you looking for?"

"I don't know. Someone set the bars several years ago without me knowing and no one's come close to reaching it. I may be all Viking on the outside but on the inside, I'm not. No matter how hard I try to find the stereotype of 'perfect Viking' appealing, I can't get into it. I've tried Gobber."

Astrid sighed and looked at Gobber. Gobber looked back at her sympathetically. "Maybe you should try to figure out who set that standard so you can figure out what you liked about them. Then maybe you won't be so lost."

Astrid smiled at her adoptive uncle. "Thanks Gobber. I can see why Hiccup hung out with you a lot." Gobber looked at her questioning. "You listen before judging. I think he needed that and so do I."

Gobber got up to leave and smiled, "You're welcome lass. Don't stay up too late."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Yes Gobber. But why not? It's not like we're training for killing dragons anymore what with the raids stopping and everything."

"You still have duties to the village now that you're eighteen. Goodnight Astrid."

"Night Gobber."


	6. A Deranged Pass

This chapter is very Dagur heavy. In fact it's pretty much Dagur and Astrid. I'm sorry it's so short but I think it's packed with a lot of stuff.

I thought that Dagur might be crazy enough to do something like this if he was more Hiccup and the gang's age. I mean, who didn't get that idea in the Flight Stuff from Defenders of Berk? He reaction was just creepy when he found out it was Astrid that was flying overhead.

Enjoy!

* * *

The next morning Astrid went into the woods earlier than normal. Her mind had been reeling about what Gobber had said. If she didn't find someone of her own free will, she would be forced upon someone?

_But who would have the authority to do that? Stoick, that's who. But would he really do that to me?_ The sky was just starting to light up with the dawn as she got up to leave. Unfortunately, someone else was up and saw her too.

She went to the area of forest she dubbed as 'Her Area'. She began to practice her axe throwing and continued till the sun was over the horizon for two hours. She prepared to throw when suddenly something stopped her from preforming that action. She turned to see that Dagur had his hand on her axe.

"Get you grimy hands off of my axe," she threatened Dagur. She hated when other people touched her axe. It was her one possession she was obsessed with.

"Oh, you're feisty today. I like feisty. It's more fun that way."

"What's more fun?" Astrid asked. Dagur grinned evilly as he suddenly pushed Astrid to the ground.

Astrid was livid for being pushed to the ground. "Why you little-"

Astrid's rant was cut off when he quickly jumped on top of her and straddled her. "You wouldn't dare!" She said wide eyed when she realized what he was planning on doing to her.

"I'm not one for being serious, but this time? Yes. I'm very serious."

Astrid began to fight back by throwing punch after punch at his face and gut but he was hardly affected. He just laughed manically then grabbed her wrists, placing them on the sides of her head and pinned her down.

"Get off me!" she yelled. He just grinned and quickly found her mouth with his and forcibly kissed her.

When he pulled up for air Astrid screamed, "Get off of me you mentally insane pervert!"

"Oh, no. This is too much fun." He then pinned her arms by her side with his muscular legs keeping them in place as he began to take off his clothes.

Astrid's eyes went wide as he took off his shirt. She squirmed and screamed for help, which was so unlike Astrid but in this situation she didn't care. She was concerned for getting out of there without being hurt.

_I'm not going to lose my virginity to him. _

She began to wriggle and squirm violently under his stance as she continued to scream for help. She knew it wouldn't come. Most Vikings were still asleep. Besides, she was too far away for anyone to hear but she still hoped.

Her wriggling and his undressing finally knocked him off balance for a second but that's all she needed. In that one second, she kneed him where the sun don't shine and he stopped and fell on top of her. It took a minute to get him off of her and bolt into the woods with her axe. It wasn't long till he recovered and started to chase her.

She zig-zagged through the forest trying to lose him but he kept up with her.

_This creep is committed. Damn! If I don't lose him soon, he'll get me._

She tried everything but nothing worked. This was her area of the woods, she knew it like the back of her hand. She knew where the deep holes were and purposely ran over those hoping Dagur would find everyone, which he did but kept getting up and closing the gap between them. She hid in a crevice that she found several years ago and watched as he passed her with no idea that she was right there.

Once she felt it safe to reveal herself, she ran in the direction of Berk. Suddenly, Dagur jumped in front of her.

"Did you think you could lose me that easily?"

Astrid turned and ran back deeper into the woods, once again with Dagur hot on her tail. She entered into a part of the woods she never ventured into but she didn't care. _If I get lost, maybe he will too. _She ran around trees, through bushes and into caves but somehow he kept finding her.

"You are really making this a bit difficult," Dagur said as he cornered her again. "But the end will be worth it."

Astrid gripped her axe harder as he approached. _Wait! My axe! I'm such an idiot!_ She grinned slightly and raised her axe. Dagur saw this and it was time for his eyes to go wide with fear. He turned to hid behind a tree as she let it go but it still hit his leg. As he yelled in pain and wrapped his wound quickly, Astrid ran once again.

"You witch! You'll pay for that!" He took out on of his many daggers and threw it at Astrid.

"AH!" she screamed and threw her right hand to her left arm. In less than a second, blood was seeping through her fingers and dripping off her hand, but she continued running.

She ran and ran but started to slow down. It was getting harder and harder to lift her legs to run but she forced herself to. She was concentrated on finding a way to lose Dagur that her right foot landed in a deep indent and tripped her. She slowly sat up and looked at her foot but it seemed alright. With great effort and a lot of convincing in her mind, she got up but soon realized that Dagur now really had the upper hand in this situation.

_Damn! I have no idea where I am, weaponless, a large wound, and now a twisted ankle! Dagur is going to win! _

She shook her head and convinced herself that Dagur was not going to get what he wanted and forced herself to run nonetheless. It was painful and hard to accomplish now that the world began top slightly spin.

"Got you!" Dagur yelled as he body slammed her to the ground. Once again, he pinned her arms to her sides with his legs.

Astrid struggled but not as hard as before due to her weakened state but she was not about to let him get any pleasure out of what he was about to do. "When I get back to Berk and my friends find out what you did, they're going to kill you!"

"Oh I don't think so. You wouldn't want them to be arrested for man slaughter."

Astrid's eyes widened with that realization. _He's right. I would never have them do it._ "Then I'll kill you!"

"I can easily stop you. Take a look at where you are now." Dagur smiled evilly and she saw the lust in his eyes. But the next second her vision did something she's never seen before. Everything started to go fuzzy and go in and out.

In this strange state, she then heard a loud sound and a blue flash. She thought she imagined it but the next thing she knew Dagur was off of her and running from her screaming something about a monster.

She slowly got up and looked behind her. At first she didn't see anything but then heard the roar of a dragon. Her eyes went wide and she ran. She was weapon less and weakened. She couldn't fight the beast so she ran. She was slow because of the pain from her ankle but her fear of dying by the beast's mouth kept her going. She, however, didn't anticipate tripping over a root and falling. Falling, falling down a hill hitting branches and rocks which scratched and bruised her body.

When she finally stopped rolling she hit her head on a rock and was knocked out cold.

When Astrid woke, all she knew was that she had a massive headache. It felt like Thor himself was pounding in her brain and it hurt. Majorly. The sun was now past the middle of the day position in the sky.

_Had I been knocked out that long? If I hadn't tripped I would have been home right now instead of…Where am I?_

She looked around to see where she was but she didn't recognize a thing. She was surrounded by a large wall of grey rock that was intertwined with lush, green vegetation. The grass was a perfect green and contrasted beautifully with the sparkling blue pond that was on her left.

She went to get up but was shoved to the ground. Her eyes went wide with when she remembered Dagur and what he had planned to do to her. She turned to scream at him, "Dagur, you sick son of a –" she stopped when she came face to face with two large green eyes and continued slowly, "-half troll."


	7. A Plan and a Promise

Well, here's some more Dagur. Also, it introduces an new character. I hope you like how I incorporated.

Enjoy!

* * *

Dagur thought he had her. She was weakened and exhausted. In all honesty, so was he but his demented mind was in overdrive with the thought of what was about to take place that he didn't care. What he was going to get would be worth the wound in his leg.

"Then I'll kill you!" Astrid yelled.

"I can easily stop you. Take a look at where you are now." He looked her up and down and saw the defeat flash in her eyes. His eyes filled with lust knowing he was going to get his way and enjoy finally feeling Astrid against his bare skin.

He was about to resume the removal of his clothes when he heard rustling in the bushes in front of him. He looked up and saw nothing, but he heard it. He heard the buildup of gasses and a blue flash suddenly appeared over his head. He ducked and looked up slowly to see two large green eyes peer through the bushes.

Those eyes then grew into a large shape as it began to reveal itself from bushes but Dagur didn't wait to see it fully. He totally forgot about Astrid and sprinted back to Berk.

"Screw you! I'm not going to let that monster get me!"

He ran and ran in fear. As he approached Berk, he stopped and straightened out his clothes and calmed his face. If they saw or found out that he ran away scared like a girl, he'd be destroyed. He calmly walked into Berk but instead if heading to his house, headed up the mountain.

With his injured leg, it was painful to climb up the mountain. Slowly he made his way up and around and came across a house surrounded by a cabbage field. He walked up to the house and banged on the door.

"Keep it down! I'm coming!" a scruffy voice called from the other side of the wooden door. When the voice opened the door, an old man with jagged teeth, a long, pointy white beard, and leaned on a staff with dragon teeth hanging off of it appeared in front of Dagur.

The old man looked him up and down. "Hello Dagur. What did you get yourself into this time?"

"Mildew, I'm hurt."

"So? Go to Gothi." He was about to close the door when Dagur pushed his way in.

"I don't want to see Gothi because she'll ask questions!" Dagur said angrily.

"And I won't?"

"No, you will. You just won't do anything about it."

"Alright. Fair enough." Mildew went to his cupboard and brought out a bowl and clean linen. He filled the bowl with hot water and began to remove Dagur's sloppy, blood coated bandage. When he saw the wound he cringed. "Oh, what did this?"

"An axe."

Mildew cocked an eyebrow. "Who's axe?"

"Astrid's."

"Why did Astrid's axe make contact with your skin?" Dagur shifted a bit. "Are you nervous?"

"NO!" Dagur yelled. "I'm not!"

"Well you seem embarrassed to tell me."

"If you must know old man, I was trying to get some from Astrid."

Mildew stopped and looked at Dagur in disbelief. Suddenly he broke out in laughter. He was laughing so hard that he began to cry.

"What's so funny?"

"Did you think that she was just going to let you touch her!? You made her livid instead. I'm surprised she didn't behead you."

"It would have been wonderful Mildew. She would have liked it. I know. I'm Dagur."

"Are you that stupid?" Dagur glared at him. "Astrid is not interested in anyone, especially you. You won't be able to woe her. Snotlout's tried, Barfgut tried, and even Hiccup tired but they all failed. What make you think you are going to get her that way?"

"I didn't. That's why I advanced on her."

"Force and violence isn't going to get her. She's smart and fierce. You're going to have to find another way to get her."

"Like what?"

"I don't know! You're the one that wants her in bed." Dagur huffed in annoyance but then remembered the monster in the bushes and shuttered. "Why are you shaking?"

"Astrid and I weren't the only ones in the woods."

"No kidding," Mildew rolled his eyes. "There are birds and bugs and yaks and sheep-"

"That's not what I mean!" Dagur yelled.

"Then what DO you mean?"

"I mean, it was a monster. It had large green eyes and it rose into a large form. It was big Mildew, big! It shot a blue flame at me."

"Blue flame?" Mildew asked wide eyed.

"Yeah."

"Did it sound like a buildup before the shot?"

"Yeah."

"Did you see that it was black?"

"I don't know. I didn't stick around to find out."

"Too bad. We might have been able to identify it. We still might be able to. I have a pretty good idea what it is but I need to be sure."

"Why so concerned about this monster?"

"I don't know yet. But it might be useful to know what it is in case we have to kill it."

"I don't think it's dumb enough to come to Berk. We'd kill it in a flash."

"Well, you were the dumb one who ventured into its territory! It may see it as an act of war."

"It's not my fault! I was chasing Astrid. She was the one to venture there. Not me!"

"But you were the idiot who thought you could have your way with her!"

"And it would have worked too!"

"No it wouldn't. This Astrid we're talking about. She would give you a run for your money." Mildew stood up and put the bandaging materials back on their places. "So, why didn't you kill it right then and there?"

"What?"

"The creature? Why didn't you kill it?"

"I didn't have any of my weapons. I wasn't planning on chasing her down and meeting up with a monster. The dagger that I did have on me, I lost when I threw it at her after she threw her axe at me."

"You're an idiot. Losing your only weapon for a little revenge."

"Well! She tried to kill me for no reason!"

"You're an idiot. You know, when she comes back, she might blab about what you tried to do and you'll get kicked out of Berk."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that if you want to keep your skin and your reputation, you find a way to keep her mouth shut."

"That is if she comes back. The monster might have eaten her."

"You should hope that's not true because her friends will be on your door asking a lot of questions."

"Why would they ask me if she disappeared?"

"Heather said she saw you follow Astrid into the woods. They've been trying to find her and you most of the morning. They even asked me if I'd seen her or you."

"I can deal with her friends. They're easy."

"Then how about dealing with Stoick and Gobber."

"How would they get involved?"

"You really are thick aren't you? Gobber practically adopted Astrid. She's like a daughter to him and if anything happens to her, he won't rest until he finds out what happened."

"How does Stoick fi-"

"He's Gobber's best friend! Oh gods! You have the brain of a dead yak! You'll have the chief, his right hand man, and a group of teens breathing down your neck! So, you'd better pray that she's alive."

"Fine! You have a point! If she doesn't come back, I'll come up with a lie. It's my word against theirs." Dagur got up to leave. "Let me know if you figure out a way to make Astrid mine."

"Don't hold your breath!" Mildew yelled as Dagur shut the door.

Dagur walked back into Berk as if nothing had happened. He hadn't seen Astrid, he hadn't been injured and he definitely didn't run away like a scared girl.

"Dagur!" a female yelled. "Where's Astrid?"

Dagur turned around and faced Ruffnut and her friends. "What do you mean?"

"She means what she said," Camicazi hissed. "Where's Astrid?"

"I haven't seen her all day."

"You're such a liar!" Heather accused. "I saw you follow her into the woods."

"Did I? I didn't know that."

"How do you know that you're not following someone INTO the woods? It completely clear," Snotlout said.

"It would take a blind moron to not see someone else," Tuff said. Dagur glared daggers at Tuff who didn't even notice.

"It must have just been a coincidence," Dagur shrugged.

"Whatever Dagur. If you did anything to Astrid Dagur I'll-"

"You'll what? Tell me facts?" Dagur then laughed while Fishlegs fumed.

"No," Ruffnut said. She gestured to all of them and threatened, "We'll make you wish you didn't have eyes for Astrid."

"Oooohhhh! I'm shaking in my boots."

"Yeah, you'd better be," Camicazi threatened.

"Let's go," Snotlout said. "This loser can't do any more for us." Snotlout and the group turned and continued to search for Astrid but not without one last glare at Dagur.

Dagur starred back at them and continued home. He didn't get very far until Stoick stopped him.

"Dagur. I need to speak with you."

"What can I do for you chief?"

"Have you seen Astrid?"

"No," Dagur said annoyed. "Why is everyone so concerned? Ruffnut and her friends already asked me. Why are you asking me?"

"Heather said that you were following her into the woods."

"I heard that but I wasn't. If I was, I didn't know I was." Stoick narrowed his eyes slightly in disbelief but Dagur didn't notice. "She's Astrid right? She hates it when people worry about her. She's fine."

"Even the strongest of Vikings can get hurt. Gobber has been on my case to find her because she wasn't at breakfast this morning. She usually leaves a note of tells him ahead of time if she won't be there."

"Maybe she just lost track of time. When have you been so concerned about the individual safety of the village. Before I came here, I heard that you were just concerned about the whole."

"That changed five years ago," Stoick said with dark and saddened eyes. "Nonetheless, Dagur. Keep an eye out for her. Let me know if you find her."

Stoick started to walk away when he thought of something. "Stoick!"

"What Dagur?"

"You know, she might be getting reckless. Unruly. She might need someone to keep her in line, in place."

"What do you mean?"

"Gobber's a great guardian I'm sure but he doesn't live with her. She's all alone in that house doing who knows what. She needs someone who's there all the time. Some support in her free life."

"What do you suggest?"

"A husband."

"She'll find one when she's ready."

"But she's denied court to all eligible men. She might have to forced to someone."

"This Astrid. She won't go through it."

"She will if you tell her. You're the chief. She'll have to obey you," Dagur smiled evilly.


	8. The Night Fury

Here's the Night Fury! Enjoy!

* * *

Astrid gasped as she realized what was gazing back at her. She quickly scooted away and picked up a stick nearby. "Stay away Dragon. Just stay away or I'll unleash my full potential, wounded or not." She had hate in her blues eyes but mostly fear. Fear of a dragon being so close and with her being weaponless. _Dagur wasn't worth losing my axe. Now I'm going to die at the hands of a dragon. _

The dragon was at least twice her height and at least three times long. It was black and sleek with a large wing span and a long tail. She knew that if the dragon attacked she'd be dead in seconds but she was Viking and she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

But the dragon didn't attack. It just starred at her. It starred without moving. No advances, not even a twitch of its muscles. It continued to stare as she slowly lowered her make shift weapon, but she kept a firm grip on it as she starred back. Something about the dragon was familiar, like she's….

Suddenly she gasped. "You're a Night Fury! I think. I have seen you before but you're not drawn in the Book of Dragons. That's unless there's more of you and you all look the same." Suddenly, the pounding in her head became stronger and she called out in pain."AHHH! Thor! Stop beating my brain with your hammer!"

She heard the dragon move and she looked up to see it right in front of her. She gasped in fear and the dragon backed away, seeing the fear engulf her face, but continued to stare at her. She looked more closely and saw that instead of hunger she saw concern in its eyes.

_In need to get back to Berk. Hopefully Gothi will have something for my head._

She tried to get up but the dragon growled at her, baring its gums, which stopped her rise. She looked up and saw the dragon giving her a disapproving look.

"You're not my mother," she said and continued. The dragon however wouldn't have any of it and in one bound, ran over to push her back down. "Hey!" Astrid yelled at the dragon. The dragon in return growled at her which stopped her easily ignited temper and anger from bubbling and doing something that would get her killed.

The dragon's gaze then softened and slowly approached her. He slowly made his way to her right leg which she pulled closer as the dragon got closer. "What are you doing? What do you want?"

When she could no longer back away, the dragon's snout was inches from her ankle. The dragon seemed to be hesitant and this intrigued Astrid.

_Why is it hesitating biting my leg? It's the one in power right now._

It then proceeded forward and gently nudged her ankle with his snout. He looked up as if he was expecting some response but the dragon only got confusion from Astrid. "What do you want? Do you want my permission to eat my leg?" It did it again and received the same answer.

The dragon sighed and opened its mouth and got a gasp from Astrid. It stopped to look at Astrid. "You're toothless! But I don't understand. All dragons have teeth."

The dragon shrugged off what she said and proceeded with its mission. Before Astrid could react, the dragon wrapped its mouth around her boot and pulled it off with ease. Astrid was going to yell at it angrily when the dragon motioned again with his snout at her ankle. She looked down and saw what it was trying to tell her.

"Oh. That's what you trying to…"

Her ankle was swollen to twice its size and was purple and black. As if it finally registered in her brain the damage of her ankle, she felt the massive pain hit. "AH!"

The dragon once again moved forward in concern but kept its distance. Astrid, though, didn't notice.

_Great,_ she thought while cringing in pain. _First, the pounding in my head and now the throbbing of my ankle. What else could be wrong with me today?_

As if reading Astrid's mind, the dragon then moved to her left arm and nudged it gently. Astrid looked and saw her entire upper arm covered in blood. The wound had clotted some but was still bleeding and hurt just as much as her ankle.

"Great," Astrid said. "A swollen ankle, a massive headache, and probably an infected wound. My life is just a basket of fish today." Astrid was now definitely in a bad mood. The dragon won't let her leave to go back to the village to get help, she had lost her axe, and she almost was violated by Dagur the Creeper.

The dragon seemed to sense her anger boiling and backed away from her. Astrid saw this and her mouth hung open a bit. _Is it afraid of me? Why? _

The dragon had moved away from her and disappeared in an indent in the side of the wall. Astrid thought that the dragon was going to leave her alone but that's not what happened. What she didn't expect was the dragon to come back with a bowl of water. He left again and had a large cloth in his mouth. He dropped it on her lap and sat on its hind legs.

Astrid just starred at the dragon and the things it just gave her. _What does he want me to do with it?_

The dragon, probably realizing what that she wasn't getting, looked at the water then back at her arm. She followed its movements and realized what it was telling her. She grabbed the cloth and tried to tear it but with her weakened state, she couldn't do it.

"Oh come on! This is ridiculous! This has always been easy for me!" She started to get frustrated when the dragon swiped at it startling her but succeeded to tear it for her. She nodded her thanks and dipped it in the water.

"Ah!" she yelped as she quickly removed her hand. "It's hot. Did you heat it?" The dragon nodded and Astrid's eyes went wide. "You can understand me?" Once again the dragon nodded. Astrid shook her head in amazement. "That's weird. I didn't know that you could."

She then resumed her duty of cleaning her wound and wrapping it. She then proceeded with her ankle and any other scratch she thought she might need.

By the time she finished it was almost dark and starting to get cold. All the while the dragon never took its gaze off of her. It watched as she removed the blood from her arm and rinsed it. Every time she hissed in pain, it flinched to get closer but stayed where it was. When it saw that Astrid began to shiver from the decreasing temperature, it moved closer and opened its mouth and built up gas.

Astrid saw this and her eyes went wide. _Oh, Thor Almighty. Now it decides to kill me!_

The dragon blasted its fire and Astrid raised her arms in a hopeless effort of defense but the fire never came. She looked and saw that the heat she was feeling was from the burnt area in front of her. The dragon had created a fire for her without the flames or wood. She starred at the dragon as it backed away once again and sat on its hind legs.

Astrid nodded in appreciation and began to relax once again. She then busied herself with cleaning up after her makeshift healing attempt. She piled all of the bloodied rags in one pile and put the clean ones in another in the thought that she might need to change the bandage on her arm.

Once again the dragon surprised her by approaching her and grabbing the bloodied rags and blasting them into ash. It then grabbed the bowl and walked away to empty it. It then came back with another utensil. It was a mug filled with water, cold this time. It left for a few minutes and came back with a mouth full of Icelandic Cod. He placed them in front of her and sat down on its hind legs waiting for her move.

Astrid looked at the fish then at the dragon. "Do you want me to pick my share?" The dragon nodded enthusiastically that she caught on the first time. She looked at the pile and pick out two and pushed the rest back to the dragon but it didn't eat any. Astrid took the stick she grabbed for her make shift weapon and put the fish on it and held it over the flameless fire. She looked up when she realized that the dragon had crouched on all fours and had its head lowered to be seen by Astrid's downcast eyes. When it saw it had her attention, he looked at the fish.

"Did you want these two fishes?" she asked. The dragon shook its head and looked at the fish and the fire. Astrid tried to understand what it wanted but couldn't make it out. The dragon then slowly approached her hand that held the stick and pushed her hand upward. It then sidestepped and began to build up gas in its mouth. Astrid was about to protest because she saw what it was about to do but it was too late. It released its fire on her two fish and within seconds the fish was cooked.

The dragon nodded in success and walked back to the spot it had been stationed at for most of the day and laid down across from Astrid. Astrid nodded again in appreciation and began to eat. She didn't realize how hungry she was until that first bit.

_One does create an appetite when running for your life and getting banged up in the processes. _When she finished, her eyes began to grow heavy and she quickly fell asleep with the dragon only a few feet in front of her. She vaguely saw the dragon get up and head towards her with an opened mouth, but she didn't care at the moment.

* * *

When she woke, she was starring at a brown sky. It took her a second to realize that she was in a house and quickly sat up, which was a big mistake. "Oh, my head."

"Careful Astrid."

She turned to see Gobber sitting by her bed with a relieved expression. "Gobber? What-where-what happened?"

"Well, you're in your bed. Heather and Camicazi found you by the outskirts of the woods and brought you here and went to get myself and Gothi. You have a nasty bump on your head, a swollen ankle, and deep cut on your arm. Other than that you're fine."

"Gobber," another deep voice called.

"Up here Stoick."

Stoick walked up the steps and entered the doorway. The last time Astrid saw Chief Stoick in her house was when he informed her that her parents had died. This was almost…weird.

"Nice to see you awake Astrid. But I have some questions that I want to ask you."

"Now Stoick? She just woke up?"

"It won't take long I promise."

"It's okay Gobber," Astrid said. "I'll do what I can."

Stoick nodded and pulled up another chair. "Do you remember what happened Astrid?"

"What do you mean?"

"How did you get these injuries?"

Astrid wanted to tell Stoick everything. She wanted to but she felt something that Astrid only felt a few times before. Fear. She was just as afraid as she was when Dagur was chasing her. She thought that maybe it was the dragon that she feared but knew that wasn't so. She was afraid of Dagur. Before he was just someone who annoyed her and tried to seduce her but now he went the next step. He wasn't afraid to take that step and that made her afraid.

_What else would he not be afraid to do to me or those I tell the truth to? I don't want to find out._

"I don't remember," she finally lied.

Gobber and Stoick looked at each other with concern. "Are you sure? What do you remember?"

"I remember practicing in the woods then running then waking up here."

"Do you think you were chasing someone?" Stoick asked.

_More like running from_. Astrid shook her head. "I don't think so. Why?"

"Yesterday afternoon I received reports that things went missing. I thought maybe you were chasing the one that stole the objects."

"What things were stolen?"

"A large washing bowl from Gothi's house, a mug from the Mead Hall, and a sheet from the Ingermans."

Astrid's eyes went wide. _Those were the items the dragon gave me. I wondered where it got those._ "Those are some weird item to steal."

"They are indeed," Gobber agreed.

"Well, if you don't remember, then I won't keep you from your rest. Get better miss." He turned to leave and headed down the steps when he stopped and turned around. "Oh, you have some visitors that want to see you."

"Is it her friends?" Stoick nodded. Gobber turned to Astrid and asked "Is it alright for them to come up?" Astrid nodded to Gobber. "Alright send them up."

Stoick nodded and continued down the stairs. A few minutes later, what sounded like a stampede of wild yaks came up the stairs. Entering her small room was Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Camicazi, and Heather.

"Oh my gods," Tuffnut exclaimed when she saw Astrid. "Heather and Cami were right. You look horrible."

"Thanks Tuff. That's really helping," Astrid sighed.

"You idiot!" Ruff said as she elbowed her twin in the stomach.

"What happened?" Heather asked.

"I don't know."

"Being banged up like that? How can you not remember?" Camicazi asked.

"She hit her head kids," Gobber interrupted.

"Oh, amnesia," Fishlegs nodded.

"Amne-what?"Snotlout asked.

"It's when a person hits their head hard on something and they forget what happened," Fishlegs informed. "There are different degrees of it. Astrid has a lesser degree because she can't remember the event but if it was a higher degree-"

"Yeah, whatever," Tuff said. "Who cares? This is boring."

"We care idiot," Ruff snapped.

"Continue Fishlegs," Heather smiled.

"If Astrid had a higher degree then she could have forgotten everything."

"Meaning…?" Snotlout lead on.

"Meaning she would forget who she was and who we are," Camicazi answered. A choir of 'ohs' was heard from Astrid's group of friends and they all turned to her with gratitude in their eyes that it wasn't a higher degree.

"How could someone forget someone like me?" Snotlout asked. "I'm just unforgettable."

"Maybe in your dreams," Ruff chuckled. "But in reality, really easy." The group laughed at Ruff's comment and Snotlout looked hurt but quickly got over it.

"So you really have no idea what happened?" Tuff asked. When Astrid shook her head, Tuff beamed. "I want amnesia! It will be awesome!"

"Don't you even think about it Tuffnut," Gobber commanded sternly and Astrid saw the glimmer in his eyes fade. "I think it's time for you all to go. Astrid needs her rest."

A choir of 'aws' was heard but they slowly turned to leave. As they headed down the stairs, Fishlegs turned and said, "Oh Astrid. Dagur is here. He wants to see you."

Astrid's eyes widened in fear and she quickly replied, "NO! I'm tired send him away." _Gods, I hope Gobber didn't that._

It wasn't Gobber she should have been worried about but someone else.


	9. Ruffnut's Confrontation

Hey Everyone!

I know it's been a long time since I updated but a lot of things happened. For one, I was busy with my sister's production of Hairspray in which I played Wilbur Turnbald, Edna's husband. Ironically, my sister played Edna. It was fun but time consuming. I then tried to update but my computer decided to shut down in the middle of my edits and when I got it back up, I couldn't save my story. I thought I was going to lose everything I wrote! Luckily, I found a way to save it and now I can continue.

So, without further a duo, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Astrid took it easy the next couple of days. Most of them were spent in her room because of her ankle but that allowed time for her to think about what happened in the cove. And she hated that more than anything. She wanted to forget what happened in the forest both with Dagur and the dragon but it wouldn't go away. She could at least count her blessings that all her time was spent remembering the dragon and not Dagur.

_Why did that dragon save me? Was he helping me so that it could have sport with me later? No, no. That's not it. It didn't act as if it was even hungry. It didn't even eat the fish I gave back. Maybe it wants a pet and thought I'd be a good one? No, no, no. Then why would it let the village find me?_

Astrid hobbled to her window and looked at her friends practicing their fighting skills. She really had a craving to join them but couldn't. Then another set of questions hit her.

_Hey! Wait. How did I get on the edge of the forest? Did I sleep walk? I don't sleep walk, what am I saying? Even if I did, I had a swollen ankle. I couldn't walk even if I wanted to. Did the dragon know that and forced me to stay? Is that why? Well, I mean it was obvious that it knew I was injured but did it really understand how badly? Or was I just lucky? _

She continued to ponder these questions. Trying to find an answer for them but couldn't. She had no knowledge of this dragon. All she knew was that it was the offspring of lightning and death itself and hide and pray it doesn't find you.

But it found her. It helped her stay off her ankle, it fed her, and it provided some medical supplies.

_And the make shift first aid materials he produced, did it risk its life to enter the village and take those items? Why would it do that? I'm a Viking, it's a dragon. We're mortal enemies. Does it not know that or did it completely ignore that because I was hurt?_

The moment Astrid thought the last question, she remembered something that someone said to her.

"_She saw my shocked reaction and asked if it was a problem that she's from Outcast Island. I told her no because she was hurt and looking for help."_

"Hiccup ignored the fact that Witch Gothel was the enemy," Astrid whispered. _Can our enemies do that for us? Is that what the dragon did?_

Suddenly remembering Hiccup made Astrid feel… well she couldn't explain it. Lost? Is that the right word? She didn't know. All she knew was that she didn't care about anything anymore. She sat on her bed and stared at nothing and thinking about their little conversation. The more she thought, she remembered something hidden at the bottom of her draw. She walked over slowly and rummaged through until she found the brown book.

She walked back to her bed and placed it on her lap. She wanted to read it. She really did. She wanted to know Hiccup better than just that one moment. But she was scared.

_These are his thoughts and dreams. Who am I to barge in on them? I want to know so badly. But I'm afraid of what I might find. Will he be just like when he spoke to me or will he be just like every other Viking? But this is the real him, and nobody really knew the real him. I don't even think Stoick knew him. I'm going to do this. I've got nothing better to do. It's about time someone saw him and remember him._

As she debated in her mind over Hiccup's journal, she hardly heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Luckily, she discovered this moments before the owner of the footsteps entered the doorway, giving her time to hide the journal under her pillow.

"Well, at least you're sitting up," Ruff said as she entered Astrid's room.

"Hey Ruff. What's going on?"

"Oh, I beat up my brother, Snotlout's ego has gotten bigger, Fish and I are having a great time, Camicazi is threatening every girl that looks at Snotlout, and Heather is doing everything in her power to make my brother a bit more sane. A pretty normal day."

"And what about you?"

"Well, I decided to get the truth."

"The truth about what and from who?" Astrid asked.

"From you and what really happened." Astrid went pale at her friend's answer.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Cut the yak dung Astrid," Ruff snapped. "You have been lying to everyone. I can see it. I'm surprised Gobber hasn't caught it yet. Maybe he has and is just waiting for you to straighten yourself out. But I'm not waiting any longer." She went to Astrid's door and shut it, then locked it. "And I'm not leaving until you spill the Yak Nog."

"I really don't know what you mean Ruff. I can't remember what happened," Astrid lied.

Ruff narrowed her eyes and gazed at Astrid for a second. Her eyes softened, she dropped her arms to her side, and sighed. "Look, I know you don't want to talk about it but maybe it will help. I know I'm not the smartest of the group but I'm not blind or stupid. That's reserved for Tuff. But whatever happened, Dagur is the center isn't he?"

Astrid snapped her head so fast to face Ruff with a shocked expression on her face. _Oh my gods! She so close! She's going to figure it out!_

"Ha! So he is at the center. I knew he was lying when he said he didn't intentionally follow you into the woods. What did he do? Push you down a hill?" When Astrid didn't respond she kept going with her guessing game. Ruff knew that when she hit the mark that Astrid would involuntarily answer. "Chase you through the woods?" Astrid's breathing quickened. "Oh! He chased you through the woods cornered you…" Astrid's eyes widened in panic, "and proposed to you."

Astrid's breathing stopped and she starred at her friend in disbelief. "Really? Proposed? If he did, I would have killed him and then myself. I can't stand the guy. He's a pervert. A maniac. A sick son of a half troll!" Astrid was livid now. _How could Ruff think of something like that? Well, it's not exactly her fault. She doesn't understand why._

"Ok, ok!" Ruff said as she put up her hands defensively. "I'm just trying to figure out what happened. Well I know he chased you through the woods and cornered you but what else did he do? What else could he have done?"She thought but when nothing came she gave up. "Come on Astrid, just tell me. I know it's bothering you. I'm your friend."

Astrid looked up at Ruff. "Ruff, I know you're my friend. I can talk to you about anything. But, I don't remember. And if it was something bad, I don't want to remember."

"Well, the whole 'I don't remember' stunt is out the window because you freaked when I mentioned Dagur and you were very defensive of what happened. If you really didn't remember, you wouldn't have rejected the proposal idea." Astrid looked at Ruff and realized she'd been caught.

_Damn! Me and jumping without thinking!_

"But I will leave because part of my question had been answered. I will figure out what happened, even if I have to ask Dagur myself."

Ruff turned to leave when Astrid yelled, "No! Don't ask Dagur. Don't even mention this conversation with anyone."

"Why?"

"I have a bad feeling, that's all."

"The same bad feeling you had when your parents died?"

Astrid nodded. _And when Hiccup and Gustav died._

"Alright. I won't. But I will keep a close eye on you and him to see if I can spot any more clues. See you Astrid." And with that she left.

_Hopefully I won't give you anymore clues._

Astrid lay down on her bed and thought about what Ruff had just done. She had gotten so close to the heart of the matter and it scared Astrid.

_Dagur is crazy. If he finds out that I told anyone, he might be crazy enough to harm them. I don't want Ruff harmed, but I want to tell her. To get this off my chest, but I'm afraid. I've lost too many people I care about to the hands of death, I don't anyone else hurt. _

She sighed in defeat, realizing the real reason she was worried.

_What am I saying? I'm not worried about them, I'm worried about me. I don't want to get hurt anymore. I've been hurt enough. I'm tired of it._

Astrid wanted to break down and cry but she was a Viking and Vikings don't cry. She, instead, closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep. She slept, completely forgetting about the journal that lay under her pillow.

* * *

"Gobber!" Stoick called as he approached the forge.

Gobber stopped his grinding and looked at his best friend and chief. He had a grave expression on his face and a worried glint in his eyes. "What is it Stoick?"

"Is Astrid ok?"

"Yeah. She's been moving and slowly walking around. Why?"

"Do you think that she's too free and needs some structure in her life?"

"What do you mean Stoick?"

"This sudden disappearance Gobber. She went off to the woods and didn't come back all day. When she did, she was hurt badly. Do you think she needs a closer eye on her?"

"No."

"How about a husband?"

"Absolutely not!" Gobber said slamming the sword down. "She is a free spirit Stoick. Forcing her into a marriage would kill her. Her structure and support is her schedule. The only reason I knew something was wrong was because she didn't show up or leave me a note to tell me otherwise."

"So you think she's alright?"

"Of course I do. This is Astrid we're talking about. Whatever happened in the woods scared her badly."

"What are you talking about?"

"Stoick, she lied to us. Lied to me and especially lied to you. Astrid has never lied before."

"What do you think she lied about?"

"I don't know but she definitely doesn't want us to know who or what gave her those injuries."

"I was getting the same feeling when she took too long to answer. Do you think she'll tell us? Do you think it has to do with the one who stole those items?"

"I don't think so. I think that's something very minor in her case. No, I think whatever happened really scared her into not talking. I just hope she tells me soon. She might be in danger."

"You think so? Wouldn't she tell you if she was really in danger?"

"Nope. She wouldn't. She likes to figure things out on her own. She hates it when people think that she can't handle it. She's strong, brave, and smart. She'll figure it out but I still wish she'd tell me so I can help her. Hahaha! She reminds me of someone else."

"Who?" Stoick asked intrigued. He didn't know anyone else in the village who was like Astrid.

"Hiccup."

Stoick did a double take. "Hiccup?"

"Yep. Hiccup didn't like it when I thought he couldn't handle it. He always tried to solve his own problems whether it was one of his inventions or something else. He never tried to start anything but if he got involved, he always stood his ground even if it meant getting a beating cause of it."

"I-I-didn't know that. He told you when he needed help?"

"Once or twice but I began to see a pattern in his behavior and now Astrid seems to be following it."

"Oh," Stoick said a bit disappointed.

"He loved you ya know," Gobber said seeing his friend's saddened face.

"Did he really Gobber? I never heard him say it. I know I never said after Val died."

"He really did. He loved you. He loved you so much that everything he tried to do was to make you happy. Make you proud of him. Every time he failed, he tried even harder. He felt like giving up every time you yelled at him when he failed but he tried even harder to make sure the next time would go right."

"That's what all of that was? Why didn't he just tell me?"

"He wanted you to approve for his successes. He wanted to tell you. Tell you why he did the things he did. Tell you he loved you but I think he was scarred of your reaction."

"I was a horrible father. Ever since Val died. It was like Hiccup was a stranger to me. I didn't know who he was. I should have tried harder."

"You tried your best. Hiccup wasn't the easiest person to understand but you weren't the most understanding either. Nonetheless, you tried to communicate and so did he but you both didn't succeed."

"You're not helping Gobber."

"You know what I mean."

"I know." Stoick grinned slightly under his beard at what Gobber said about his deceased son. He then frowned, realizing where he was at that moment. "I just never thought I'd bury my own son."

"He's in a better place Stoick."

"Thanks." Stoick turned to leave when Gobber stopped him again.

"Wait Stoick. Who put that thought in your head?"

"What thought?"

"About Astrid needing a close eye or a husband."

"Dagur."

"Oh, that makes since."

"Now, what's that mean?"

"Dagur's been trying to get Astrid for a long time now. He would suggest something like that."

"Well, I'll do my best to ensure what's best for Astrid."

"Thanks Stoick."


	10. Reading Hiccup's Journal

Hey Guys. Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy. Astrid's lame naming is more of me not being able to come up with a name. Sorry. I'm not good at coming up with names. As Astrid says in the chapter, "God have mercy on my future kids."

Nonetheless, ENJOY!

* * *

Astrid was finally granted to go and walk outside by Gobber, however, she couldn't exert herself.

"Gothi said that the bump on your head will still affect your movements. So, no sudden movements," Gobber had told her.

_No sudden movements. _Astrid thought. _I wouldn't dream of it._ _Hint the sarcasm. _She made her way to the market to purchase some food so she could eat that night. While there, she was bombarded with remarks and questions of 'are you ok?'. After a while she was ready to punch someone in the face. She was just hoping to run into Snotlout or Tuffnut. However, the gods didn't answer her.

As she rounded the corner, she saw Dagur heading straight towards her, though he didn't know it. He hadn't spotted her yet, so she had time to hide. The only problem was that she shouldn't move suddenly.

_Screw it!_ She thought as she ducked between two houses. She quickly realized that that was a big mistake. The world began to spin and the pounding started up in her head. She was so off balance that she fell backwards and landed in some crates. She was spinning so fast that she almost didn't see Dagur pass. Luckily for her, Dagur didn't see her or she would have been cornered again.

She just laid there until the world stopped spinning and the pounding stopped. She then slowly got up and retrieved her purchases, which didn't end up spilling everywhere. She slowly walked home scolding herself.

_I'm a Viking! One the most feared in the village! I should be hiding from my fears, I should face them head on! Next time I run into Dagur, I'm not going to hide. I'm going to show him why I'm the most feared. Beware Dagur! Astrid Hofferson is livid!_

She marched into her house with an angry expression on her face. She still held the face even as she ate and when Gobber came to check on her.

"Whoa! Who made you so angry?"

"Me."

"What did you do to yourself?" Gobber questioned.

Astrid cocked an eyebrow then relaxed her face a bit. "I did something that wasn't me or very Viking."

"And what would that be?"

"I hid. Hid from my fears."

Gobber looked at her gob smacked. "Astrid Hofferson hid? I think the world is coming to an end," Gobber exclaimed over dramatically.

Astrid shook her head. "It's not funny Gobber. I hid. I never do that. I hate myself right now for indulging in such a weakness."

"To your credit lass, you do have a major head injury. Maybe your mind was just protecting ya so you could heal some more."

"It wasn't that Gobber. I know exactly why I hid."

"Do you want to tell me?"

"No," Astrid said quickly. She looked at Gobber and finished, "I have to solve this on my own."

"If ya say so lass. Well, if your all good, I've got to head back to the smithy. Everyone is getting their weapons fixed all of a sudden."

"Is someone attacking?"

"No. Stoick would have told us. Especially me so I could be prepared for the increase of business but he hasn't told me anything."

"Oh, ok. See you tomorrow Gobber."

Astrid cleaned up after her meal and went to her room. She wondered why everyone would be repairing their weapons all of a sudden. _It's been months since an Outcast attack or a dragon raid. What could they be preparing for? Maybe it's to defend themselves from the 'person' who was able to sneak in and steal a bowl, mug, and large sheet. Yeah, that's it. Man, if only they knew who that really was._

She went prepared for bed and was almost asleep when she thought, _Maybe I should get my axe sharpened, it could use a….Wait! My axe! _She snapped her eyes opened. _Where is it? I lost it! Damn you Dagur. I've never lost my axe. _She thought of getting up and looking right then and there but logically figured it was a bad idea because it was dark and it would be a waste of her time. _I'll go look for it tomorrow morning._

* * *

The next morning she realized, her head felt considerably better than the day before. Gothi had checked her again. Gothi said that she was completely healed but that she might have some major headaches every once in a while.

She proceeded with her normal routine then headed towards the woods. As she entered the town square, she saw Dagur walking towards her with his group of friends. They were chatting about something but she didn't care.

"So what happened to your leg again?" one boy asked.

"Oh, it was something stupid. I wasn't paying attention and cut myself on a large branch."

"Where was your mind?" another asked.

"I was thinking about Astrid. What else?"

"What else indeed. You'll get her one day Dagur. She can't resist a guy like you."

"You know it," Dagur grinned.

Astrid stood where she was waiting for them to notice her, ready to give Dagur a piece of her mind. _He'll get me one day. Ha! _She stood in an intimidating stance but as they approached, her fear started to break through her tough barrier. Before they had a chance to see her, she ducked behind a house and made herself as small as possible, hoping they would pass without them seeing her.

They passed without noticing her, but someone else did.

She let out her breath, which she didn't realize she was holding and the next second she was mentally kicking herself for being so scared. She continued her rant in her head as she looked for her axe. She started at her training area and worked her from there. The longer she looked and kicked herself for her weakness, the more angry and frustrated she got. She tracked her movements, which was hard to do until she came to the place where she was cut in the arm. From there it was easy to track her movements by the trail of blood but she still could not find her axe. She made it all the way back to the cove but it was nowhere to be found.

_Damn! Someone must have picked it up or I completely missed it. Damn you Dagur! Damn you son of a half troll!_

She suddenly stopped her rant when she felt a gust of hot air on her back. She slowly turned around and was once again greeted with two large green eyes on a scaly black face.

"Uuuh, hi," she said.

The dragon looked at her wondering what she was doing back or how she found her way back. The dragon, nonetheless, was pleased to see her again.

Astrid tried to think of something to do. _Should I leave? Or should I stay? No. The dragon actually looks happy to see me but also confused._

"Did you take me back to the village?" Astrid suddenly asked.

The dragon looked at her in surprise. It was expecting anything but that. Slowly it nodded its head in uncertainty.

"I'm not upset or anything," Astrid said seeing the dragon's uncertainty. "I was just curious. But thank you. Looks like I really needed proper care." The dragon bowed its head to express 'you're welcome'. "You know," Astrid said. "If I'm going to keep running into you, I need to name you so I don't keep calling you 'it'." Astrid thought and said, "How about Toothless?"

The dragon shook its head no.

Astrid thought and thought but couldn't come up with a name. She gave up and sighed. "I can't come up with one. I was never good at naming things or people. Thor, have mercy on my kids. How about just Dragon?"

The dragon thought about it and nodded. It was better than 'thing', 'it', or 'monster'.

Astrid looked at the sun and her face fell into one of disappointment. She came to find her axe and after all day of looking, she still didn't find it. "Well, I should be getting back. I've been out here all day and didn't find what I was looking for. But I did find you. I guess that's something."

She turned to leave when Dragon cooed at her to get her attention. When she turned, Dragon turned around and retrieved something. He came up to her with a stick hanging out of his mouth and looked at her expectantly.

"You don't want to play fetch do you?" Astrid asked nervously. She sighed in relief when Dragon shook its head. Dragon then lowered his head and dropped what was in his mouth. When he backed away, Astrid gasped. Lying on the ground before her was her axe. Dragon had found it and was waiting to return it to her. She picked it up to examine it and saw there was little damage done to it. She looked back at Dragon and bowed her head in appreciation and said, "Thanks. This is important to me."

Dragon nodded in understanding and turned around and walked to the water where it laid down. Astrid turned and headed back to the village. Surprisingly, she found her way easily and went to the blacksmith shop.

* * *

Gobber was hammering away at a crooked sword and didn't hear her until she cleared her throat. Gobber turned around and smiled when he saw who it was.

"Astrid! What can I do for ya?"

"I just wanted to see how you were. You said you were busy and everything last night. I was wondering if it had slowed down any."

"Nope. Still just as busy. What's wrong? You've never come by before, unless it was to sharpen your axe."

"Well, in honesty, I came because of my axe. I apparently lost it when I got injured. I found it today but I realized I never told you thanks for making it. It's been real handy and trusty. So, thanks Gobber."

Astrid looked at Gobber and saw that he had a somber look on his face. "What's wrong Gobber?"

He looked at her with sad and guilty eyes. "I didn't make your axe lass."

"Then who did?"

"You axe was Hiccup's first independent project."

Astrid's mouth dropped. She couldn't believe it. Hiccup created her most reliable and trusted weapon. _All this time I thought it was Gobber who made it and it was actually his apprentice._ "Why didn't you tell me before? Why didn't he tell me?"

"He was afraid you wouldn't pick it up if you found out. Plus, he really didn't want the credit. That's how he was."

"I wish I knew sooner. I would have liked to have thanked him."

"I'm sure he would have liked to hear that." Gobber smiled sadly.

"You really miss him don't you?" Astrid asked.

Gobber nodded. "I didn't even have the heart to clear out his back room."

"He had a back room?"

"Yeah. It's where he would cook up his little inventions that made the village go crazy. He was brilliant you know. He had a great imagination. He even helped me with some problems I was having with Big Bertha's mechanics."

"Wow. I thought that only you could do that."

"Nope. Hiccup took to medal like a fly to yak dung. He was a natural even though he was small. I had to create a whole separate set of tools for him just so he could lift them to help me?"

Astrid shook her head. "There was that much of a size difference between him and the tools?"

"Yes." Gobber remembered something and began to laugh. "The first time he tried to swing my hammer, he fell backwards when he lifted it over his head. He got up and tried to lift it again but the weight of the hammer brought him back down to the ground. That's when I decided to make the tools. I still teased him about it as he got older and he never failed to laugh."

"He thought it was funny too?" Astrid asked intrigued to learn more about Hiccup.

"Yeah he did. He may have been self conscience of his size but it never stopped him from laughing at himself."

Astrid wanted to know more but her stomach grumbled loudly and Gobber heard it. "You should be getting home and answering that call young lady. I think you might have just called a Gronkle."

"Alright, see you tomorrow." With a wave of her hand she headed home. As she looked ahead on the path that pointed to home, she saw Dagur just standing there doing nothing. She was too tired and hungry to try and confront him again and decided to take the long way around and entered her house from the back door. She ate greedily then went upstairs to go to bed.

_It was nice to hear a positive story about Hiccup. Gobber really cared for him. Funny how he seemed hurt when the village made fun of his size but he was able to laugh about it when by himself or with Gobber. It seems like they had such a great relationship._

Astrid took her axe and placed it by her bed ready for use if need be.

_What I can't believe is that Hiccup made my axe. It has out lived and survived longer than any other weapon on Berk. And it was his first project! To make such a wonderful weapon on the first attempt is definitely amazing. I wonder how many others he has done? But why would he not want me to know who made my axe? Was he really so negative about himself that he thought I wouldn't use it if I found out that he made it? If only I could ask him. If people only knew of what he could really do. If they only saw the talent that he had and not what he couldn't do, maybe he wouldn't have been so distant from everyone. Now I want to know what other hidden talents he might have had. I could ask Gobber some more or even Stoick. No, not Stoick. That wouldn't be right and Gobber would get suspicious. There must be another way._

She thought for a minute and remembered. "His journal!"

Astrid jumped off her bed and bee lined for her drawers excited to know more about Hiccup. She dug through her clothes and reached the bottom. She gasped. "Where is it? I know I put it here." She pulled out all of her clothes and still didn't find it. Now she was freaking out. She did the same with her other drawers and still came up empty. She looked under her bed, in her closet, and even in the plant trough.

She sighed and turned to see the disaster in her room. It looked as if Odin had flown through her room in a rage. She reluctantly began to put her room back in order.

_I can't believe myself. I lost it. The only way I could have learned more about him without raising suspicion and I lose it. But on top of that, I kept it to keep it safe. I'm a great protector. Yeah right. I can't even protect a book from being lost. Oh Thor, I feel terrible._

She finished picking up her room and got ready for bed. She laid down in a somber mood. She tried to fall asleep but losing the journal kept eating at her mind. She turned to plant her face in her pillow to scream and reached under with intent to hold the pillow in place when she felt leather. She stopped, lifted up the pillow and saw what she had turned her room inside out for.

She gingerly reached for the book and sat up. She placed the journal on her lap and had another internal battle of whether or not to read Hiccup's inner thoughts. It was short, though, and she slowly opened to the front page. She read the inscription on the bottom again.

**To: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III**

**From: Mom**

Astrid then turned the page and began to read the first entry. She deducted that he received the journal when he was really young for his handwriting was uneven and messy. Not to mention the structure wasn't well written.

**This is so exciting! I've never had a journal before. My mom gave to me for my four birthday. She say that I can write me feelings in it freely. She too told me that she has one and she write in it every day. I can't wait to tell of my adventures. They're going to be great.**

Astrid was jumping on the inside with joy. Not that she herself was happy. No, she was still uneasy about reading his journal. She was jumping for joy because she felt the excitement from his words. They were few and incorrect but still exciting. She then began to read the next entry.

**I have a great idea today! I came up with idea to easily shoot an arrow. Why an arrow? Because it the only weapon I can pick up. All others too heavy. But I still can't pull the bow thingy back. So I came up with idea! Way to help me. Put two pieces of wood criss cross and attack string to lever. Put in arrow and release. Poof! It goes flying! Can't wait to tell mom and dad!**

_That's a crossbow. It's already been created. _Astrid thought. She then read the next entry.

**Never mind about me idea. Dad said that they exist already and he showed me. So much for that idea. I guess I not creative as I think I am.**

Astrid became a bit sad at his last entry. Even at that young age he was being put down. He was so excited and his creative invention crushed. Granted, it was already created but the fact he thought of it when he was four was still amazing!

**Today was fun. I got to play Capture the Sheep with the other kids. We split up into two groups with me, a girl named Astrid, and a boy named Tuffnut. The other team was cousin Snotlout, a big boy named Fishlegs, and a girl named Ruffnut. I think Tuffnut and Ruffnut are related. They looked a lot alike. Maybe twins! That would be cool!**

_I remember this. Didn't my team win?_

**We then had to decide a leader and guess who was chosen? Me! At first I was scared. I didn't want to fail them but then made up my mind to do me best. Snotlout was the leader on the other team, I found out later. I don't know what I did but it worked, we won! I had Tuffnut be in front which was a good thing for he and Ruffnut began to fight each other. I think that they forgot about the game. I was the decoy while Astrid went to other player's area to get the sheep. I had Snotlout and Fishlegs trying to stop me get past. I felt bad when Fishlegs slipped and fell but Snotlout decided to pounce and tackle me to the ground. My body is still feeling it. Astrid got the sheep and we won. It was fun. My mom and dad beamed at me, after looking over me to see if I okay of course. But Snotlout did something that confuses me.**

_Oh no. What did you do Snotlout? He was having a great day._

**I went over to him to tell him I had fun and that maybe next time but when he looked at me he was mad at me. I asked him what I did wrong but he just shook his head. He said the only reason my team won was because I had Astrid. If I had been on my own, I would no have had a chance. Because I was so small and weak. He turned and left me.**

**Am I really that small? I only four. I grow. But I thought about what he said and saw I was smaller than the others my age. Maybe I am small. Is he right? Did we win because I had Astrid? I no sure now.**

**But today was fun besides that.**

_Oh great Odin's ghost Snotlout! That was really wrong! So unsporting. But then again, when has he been sporting?_

It was late and she decided to close the journal and save it for another day. But just from those three entries, she knew she was going to be in for a great journey.


	11. A Nightmare and A Promise

_Astrid was crying in the forest. She was hurt, not physically but emotionally. She wanted to tell someone what was bothering her but no one was around. She cried harder._

_"__Astrid?" she looked up to see an auburn haired boy with green eyes and face covered in freckles round a tree._

_"__Hiccup? What do you want?"_

_"__Tell me what's wrong." He sat down in front of her and patiently waited for her to speak._

_"__I can't you'll get hurt."_

_"__No I won't. No one else is here. Besides, it'll just be between you and me. I promise."_

_"__I can't take that chance."_

_"__Please Astrid I want to help."_

_Astrid looked at Hiccup and finally gave in. "It was Dagur. He hurt me. He touched me and then he threatened me. I don't know what to do."_

_"__Well, you could-" Hiccup stopped._

_Astrid looked at his pained face then looked at his chest. She saw a glitter of metal protruding out and his green tunic began to darken. _

_"__Hiccup!" She screamed._

_Astrid, who suddenly became her thirteen year old self, looked over Hiccup's shoulder and Dagur peered over._

_He pulled out his dagger, letting Hiccup fall to the ground, and slowly wiped the blood off. _

_"__I told you not to tell anyone," he grinned evilly. "You told your parents and look what happened to them. And now you told the chief's son. Now Berk has no heir. All because of you." Dagur began to advance toward Astrid._

_Astrid began to scream._

* * *

Astrid bolted in bed screaming. She grabbed her axe and through it in front of her. She stopped and looked around. She was in her room safe and sound. No one was there and now her axe was embedded in the wall but she didn't care. She was breathing heavily and drenched in sweat.

_It was a dream. Just a dream._

Astrid got up and got dressed. She tried to shake the memory of her dream but it still remained vivid. She shuttered to think what Dagur would do if she told anyone. Maybe what happened to Hiccup in her dream.

_Why was I even dreaming about him or the death of my parents? Oh, right. I was reading his journal when…_ Then she stopped. She then shuttered to think about what would happen if Dragon hadn't chased Dagur away.

_Dragon! I don't think I ever thank him for that. I should go find him. But he's a dragon, he roams free. He could be anywhere. I guess I could try at the cove._

"Hey Astrid!"

She turned to see Snotlout running towards her. _Wait, when did I ever leave my house?_

"What Snotlout?"

"Did you hear? Mildew discovered dragon tracks near his house. Apparently, it's a species we have never seen before."

_Oh, no. Dragon!_ "So, what's being done about it?" Astrid asked putting on a façade.

"Well-"

"Nothing really. It's a bore," Tuffnut said disappointed.

"Yeah, they just tracked them until they couldn't anymore," Ruff said. "They didn't find anything."

"Oh! It's so exciting! Did you guys hear about the new-"

"Yes Fishlegs!" They all said.

"Oh."

"It is kind of cool to think that there's a new dragon out there," Heather said.

"How is that cool? We have no knowledge about it so how can we fend it off it decides to attack?" Ruff asked

"Trial and error?"Fishlegs suggested.

"Sounds boring," Tuff said.

"Not if you're wrong and you get killed," Snotlout said.

Tuff's face lit up. "Where do I sign up?"

"Whatever. It could be a sign that the dragons will begin to attack again though," Camicazi said excitedly. "I'm going to take down four Gronkles!"

"I'll take down a Zippleback," Ruff boasted.

"Nu-uh. I said I would first," Tuff argured.

"No you didn't!"

"Yes I did!" Once again they began to punch each other.

"You guys are all lame," Snotlout scoffed. "I'll take down a Monstrous Nightmare. They are reserved for the best."

"If that's so, that honor is given to Astrid," Fishlegs said. Everyone stopped and turned to Fishlegs. Even the twins stopped fighting. Fishlegs saw their expressions and immediately realized what he did. "Oh Thor!"

"You just insulted Snotlout!" Camicazi said.

"It wasn't on purpose," Fishlegs pleaded as Snotlout began to advance dangerously.

"Nice going Fishlegs," Astrid complemented. Everyone turned to her in shock. Snotlout stopped his advance and starred at Astrid. "Well, I'm off to practice. See you guys later." A few seconds later, she left a group of stunned friends behind.

"Did she just complement me?"

"What's going on with Astrid?" Heather asked. "She's been acting weird since her injuries."

"I don't know," Ruff said. "But I'm trying to figure it out."

* * *

Astrid slowly began to remember the way back to the cove. She didn't really think of trying to remember the route because she had no intention of trying to find Dragon but here she was, purposely looking for Dragon.

_This is insane! I trying to find Dragon to thank him and not kill him. This is so weird! Every bone in my body should tell me to kill him but I don't have that feeling. Gods! It's like I'm comfortable with him._

She found her way to the cove and entered not expecting to find Dragon there but there he was. He was laying there like he had nothing better to do that day. She saw that his paw was moving in the dirt but other than that he was still. As she entered, Dragon's ears popped up and quickly positioned himself ready to attack.

Astrid froze. She thought that Dragon was going to attack her and reached for her axe ready to defend herself. However, when he saw that it was her, he relaxed. His wings folded against his back, his pupils expanded, and his teeth retracted. Astrid in turn, lowered her axe and put it away. Then she realized something.

"So you do have teeth!" Astrid exclaimed. Dragon looked at her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Well, sorry but I didn't see them before. I thought maybe they fell out or something."

Dragon chortled at the thought. Well, as best as Dragon could chortle. It then looked at her curiously. Astrid saw its confused expression and read it as 'What are you doing here?'

Astrid sighed. _This is crazy! _"I came to thank you for what you did when I was injured. I don't remember if said it already. But thank you."

Dragon narrowed his eyes in uncertainty at her then bowed his head to acknowledge her thanks.

"Well, I should be going. I have to practice. So, thanks again." She turned to leave but stopped and looked back when she heard Dragon moving.

He looked up began to approach but stopped and just looked at Astrid. She looked at Dragon and he seemed to plead with her to stay. She looked back at the exit and back at Dragon. She sighed and walked toward Dragon.

"Well, you got me to stay Dragon, so what do you want me to do?"

Dragon jumped and moved to where he was laying before she came in. He motioned for her to follow with his head. She cautiously approached him while he retrieved something from behind a rock.

She then notice his tail and gasped. Dragon stopped and looked at her. "Your tail! It's missing its left fin!"

Dragon looked at his tail then at her then continued toward the rock. She kept advancing and slowly saw what he was producing. It was two cabbage heads.

She gasped. "You were at Mildew's house? You went after Mildew's cabbage?" Dragon nodded embarrassed. "Why would you eat that? Dragons eat meat and fish."

Dragon nodded and then sighed in defeat. He then went behind a rock and pulled out a basket and placed it front of Astrid. She opened it and found it full of fish.

She looked at Dragon. "What do you want me to do with this?" Dragon looked at the basket then back to the cabbages then back to the basket. "You want me to give it to Mildew?" Dragon nodded enthusiastically. "Why?" Dragon once again looked at the cabbage and Astrid was shocked. "You're paying for what you took?" Once again, Dragon nodded.

_Incredible! I've never heard of something like this. _She looked in the basket and saw there was enough payment for what he took plus some. "Are you going back?" Dragon tried to shrug. "Have you taken cabbage before?" Dragon nodded embarrassed.

Astrid then thought of something. "How did you get to Mildew's house if you can't fly? How did you take me to Berk?" Dragon looked at the entrance where Astrid came through. "You enter and exit like I do?" Dragon nodded and Astrid was once again flabbergasted.

Suddenly, Dragon's ears perked again and he looked around. He grabbed the basket and hid it again. He then grabbed Astrid by the back of her shirt and began to drag her easily.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Astrid protested as he grabbed the back of her shirt.

Dragon stopped in a small indent in the rock and dropped her on the floor. Before she could get up, he had engulfed her with his body. In seconds she was in darkness.

"Let me out!" She protested once again. She heard Dragon rumbled what sound like a shushing noise and she became quiet. She listened and heard voices. She couldn't make out what they were saying but one made her heart beat fast and her breathing to increase.

"I thought I heard something over here," the voice said.

"Dagur," she whispered. Dragon sensed her distress and wrapped himself tighter around her to try and comfort her.

"I didn't hear anything," said another.

"I did. It sounded like a girl," another said.

"It sounded like Astrid," Dagur said.

For several minutes, Astrid and Dragon sat in silence waiting for Dagur to get far away. Astrid couldn't hear them anymore but she believed that Dragon could for he wouldn't move.

When he finally did, the sunlight hurt her eyes and it took her a few minutes to adjust to the sudden light. When she finally focused, she saw Dragon looking at her worriedly.

She put her hand out to calm him like she would do to a sheep or yak. "I'm ok. Everythi-" and she stopped. What was happening before her was impossible. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Dragon had placed his snout into her hand. She felt a strange sensation. Like a transference of emotions. She could feel that Dragon trusted her and she felt at peace. She was calm, all her worries were washed away in that moment. All that mattered was how Dragon felt toward her. She then realized the she trusted Dragon and felt a wave of excitement. She wasn't one to trust people, or dragons for that matter, so easily and yet here she was, completely comfortable with Dragon. Dragon removed his snout and looked at her. She starred back.

They remained this way for several minutes until Dragon broke the trance by going back to where he hid the basket and putting it in front of her. He then looked up at the sky and Astrid followed his gaze. Astrid realized that they must have been hiding for hours because the sun was getting low in the sky. She looked back at Dragon and grabbed the basket.

"Thank you again."

She headed out of the cove then turned around. "I'll see you tomorrow."


	12. Journal With a Side of Derange

Astrid made her way back to Berk thinking about what just happened between Dragon and herself.

_It was amazing! I've never felt something like that before. Just from one touch I could feel that I could trust Dragon. But I must be crazy. Seeing him tomorrow? What was I thinking? Well, I can't go back on it now. He'll be expecting me. I don't want to break that trust. Not after we had just created it. Me! The most promising Viking in Berk has made friends with a dragon! I wonder if anyone else in the past has done this? I'm breaking every rule and every lesson I've been taught by befriending a dragon. _

She was at the edge of the woods and about to proceed home when she remembered she had a payment to deliver. She changed her direction and headed up the mountain and around the back. It was considerably darker behind the mountain and made it easier for her to drop the fish on the front step, knock, and hide without being seen by Mildew. When she was sure that Mildew received his payment, she headed back down into Berk.

She decided to go to the Mead Hall instead of her house to eat. She entered and found her friends sitting and chatting away.

"Hey Astrid!"Camicazi called.

Everyone turned and watched her as she sat down. They continued to watch as she began to eat. She finally couldn't take it anymore and turned to them. "What?"

"You complemented Fishlegs," Heather said.

"I did?" Astrid thought back to their last conversation and realized that she did. "Oh, I did didn't I? Well, it's a rarity. Don't expect it again Fishlegs."

"So, it wasn't on purpose?" Heather asked.

"Nope."

"Oh, good. We thought you were going soft," Snotlout said.

"Yeah, next you'll be friends with a dragon," Tuff said.

Astrid decided to drink at the wrong moment. She spit out her drink and began to cough hard. Everyone one looked at her with wide eyes and shock.

_Oh gods! If only he knew that is exactly what has happened._

"Good Thor Astrid!" Ruff exclaimed. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Astrid lied. "I was not expecting such an absurd statement."

"Yeah, it is a little farfetched," Camicazi agreed.

Astrid busied herself with cleaning up her mess as Ruff turned to Heather and whispered something in her ear. Heather nodded and Ruff got Astrid's attention.

"Hey Astrid," Ruff said. "Where have you been all day? Dagur's been looking for you."

Astrid bolted but forgot she was under the table and slammed her head. A choir of 'ows' was heard from the group.

"Are you ok?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Is Dagur here now?"

"Um, no," Snotlout responded.

"Oh, ok."

"I could go get him for you," Tuff said and began to get up.

"No!" Astrid screamed and shoved Tuff back into his seat. "I'm fine."

"Sure you are?"Camicazi asked.

"Yes!" Astrid snapped. "I'm going to turn in." With that she got up and left the Mead Hall.

_I need something to distract me._

* * *

"Did you see it?" Ruff asked.

"Yes. Yes I did," Heather nodded.

"See what?" Snotlout asked.

"How Astrid acted when Ruff mentioned Dagur," Fishlegs informed.

"She's been acting that way for the past few days," Camicazi said. "What's the big deal?"

"I think Dagur is somehow involved in Astrid's incident in the forest," Ruff said.

"What makes you say that sis?"

"I noticed that she was very un-Astrid when Dagur wanted to visit her when she was bedridden."

"What was so un-Astrid?" Snotlout asked.

"She was terrified." Everyone gasped.

"Are you sure?" Camicazi asked.

"Yes. Very sure. I then went back later and asked her and she got really defensive of the subject."

"Well, maybe he proposed to her finally," Heather asked.

"Nope. She looked liked she was about to throw up when I asked her. She wasn't defensive, she just didn't like the idea."

"Well, maybe she knows that he will propose and is avoiding him," Tuff said.

"How does a proposal cause someone to be terrified?" Fishlegs asked.

"Well it shouldn't," Heather said. "No, something else about Dagur scares her."

"Um, how about all of him?"Camicazi asked. Everyone laughed.

"So true, Cami," Fishlegs said. "He's not called deranged for nothing."

"Now that's out of our system," Heather said. "Let's get back to Astrid."

"What did she say Ruff?" Snotlout asked.

"Well, she hinted to him chasing her in the woods. She's purposely avoiding him. Whenever she sees him, she freezes in fear."

"How do you know that?" Fishlegs asked.

"Because I saw her do that in the town square. She looked ready to give him a piece of her mind but then suddenly hid."

"Oh. What else?" Tuff asked.

" Oh, and when they came into the arena the other day, he talked to her. Whatever he said really scared her. Her eyes were wide and I think she was shaking come to think of it. When I tried to get some answers, she snapped."

"Ok, so Dagur was chasing her, that made her scared of him," Fishlegs started.

"But it wasn't to propose," Snotlout added.

"And she's been avoiding him and when she does run into him, she's terrified," Heather continued.

"And after the arena, she seems even more on edge when he's mentioned in her presence," Camicazi finished. "What does it all mean?"

"What could Dagur have done to make her scared like this?" Fishlegs asked.

"And it takes a lot to scare Astrid," Snotlout added. "Believe me. I've tried to scare her."

"Well, maybe Dagur realized he wasn't going to get anything from her and tried anyway," Tuff said tiredly.

All of the teens looked at each other. Then thought about it and they all gasped.

"You don't think he'd really-" Camicazi asked.

"If he did, I'll kill him," Ruff said.

"Whoa, whoa. Wait," Fishlegs said as Ruff began to leave the table. "We can't ask Dagur because he'd lie to us. And Astrid won't tell us. We can't run around without knowing the real truth."

Ruff sat back down. "Ok then. This is what we do."

* * *

Astrid dropped her axe on the floor and roughly sat down on her bed.

_Damn them! Damn Dagur! Why can't I go a few hours without having to look over my shoulder or someone trying to pry the truth from me? This is getting too much. _With that, she punched her headboard and it snapped a little.

She looked over at her night stand and saw Hiccup's journal and picked it up. She opened it again and continued to read.

_I hope he's having a better time than I am right now._

**Everything's changed. Dad hardly looks at me anymore. Gobber says because I remind him of mom and I can understand that but it still hurts. Gobber has become like a second father to me, which I don't mind, but I miss dad. The village seems to treat me differently too. They seem kinder but also distant, like they don't know what to do or say towards me. I know they are trying to be kind but it actually makes it worse. All this uncertainty, it's messing with my nerves. I hope things will go back to normal soon. Well, as normal as possible with mom gone. I miss you mom. Terribly. Please watch over me. I think I'm going to need your eyes.**

_Man, I didn't know a five year old can write something so deep. I know I wouldn't have been able to._

**Dad was mad at me today because I got home late. I told him I lost track of time and he told me to find out how to not do it again. So I did! I came up with a way! I call it a clock. It's a device that has 12 numbers on in. I was going to go with 24 but it didn't look right. I did 12 because I noticed how we change our greetings from good morning to good afternoon after the sun is in the highest spot, so I figured that I'd split the 24 in half. As you can see from my design, the numbers go around in a circle and there are two lines coming from the middle. The smaller line I've decided will be the hour line and the longer line the minute line. It will go around in a circle from hour to hour with the minute line moving every one minute and the hour moving every 60 minutes. Oh! And every single number represents 5 minutes. So when the minute line is on the 1, it's been 5 minutes. On the 2, it's been 10 minutes and so on. When it hits the 12 then I know it's afternoon. It will continue to rotate even when I'm asleep so when I wake, I know what time it is. Now if only I can figure out how to make it work.**

Astrid looked under his entry and saw a circle with twelve numbers going around in a circle in ascending order up to twelve. From the middle she saw two lines, one smaller than the other, pointing out to one of the numbers. The smaller line pointed at the three while the longer line pointed at the seven. Under the design was a little inscription. **3:35**

Astrid studied it more and found that it would be an affect way to track time, if he ever got it to work. _Well, that's impossible now._

**My father surprised me today. I thought he was going to wish me a happy birthday but that didn't happen. I think he forgot. When I came home, he was waiting by the fire, seeming nervous about something but he never tells me so I was about to go to my room when he said he wanted to talk to me. He said that I wasn't growing up like a regular Viking should. How can he tell that already? I just turned six today. What does he expect me to do? Spilt a rock in half with my head? I not big and strong like Snotlout so something had to be done about it. He said that he talked with Gobber and that Gobber agreed to let me apprentice with him in the forge! I hadn't been so excited or happy since mom died. I can't wait for tomorrow. At least I won't be so useless. I might actually find my place in the village. Perhaps this is my chance to show them what I'm capable of. Just watch out for me mom, from Valhalla. I miss you and so does dad. We all miss you.**

"He seems so happy but there's still that pain. He's right. Why did she have to go on his birthday of all days? He doesn't deserve that kind of guilt. It was never his fault but no one told him that, I think."

Astrid was going to continue when she heard something in her room. She looked up and tried to see what it was but the candle made more shadows for whatever it was too hid in. She was about to grab he axe and get up when she was pushed onto her bed.

Before she could make a sound, a great weight was pressed onto her chest and a hand covered her mouth. She wriggled and tried to bite the hand but it moved just enough so protect its skin.

"I told you I'd get another chance."

Astrid's eyes went wide with horror. _Oh Thor! Dagur broke into my room! Why didn't I hear that?_

"You really must have been into what you were reading. You didn't hear me come in. Lucky me."Dagur ran his hand up and down her body and greedily looked into her blue eyes. He then smiled evilly and began to lift the hem of her shirt.

_Oh gods, no. He's going to do it! He's crazy!_ Astrid's breathing and heart rate increased dramatically.

Dagur felt this and grinned even wider. "See. I knew you would like this." His hand finally found his way under her shirt and began to run his fingertips over her smooth skin. "How are you such a strong and tough Viking warrior maiden with such smooth and soft skin?"

Dagur was so engrossed in his exploration of Astrid's body that he neglected to feel that Astrid had freed her hand and grabbed her axe that was leaning near her bed.

"AH!" Dagur yelled as the butt of the axe collided with his head. He fell off the bed and clutched his head and felt wetness connect with his hand and run down his face.

As Dagur recovered from his daze and discovered his injury, Astrid had jumped out of bed. She grabbed her axe and ran out of her house.

_Where can I go? If I go to Ruff's, I'll have to explain what happened which means telling the whole story. If I do that, I'll put Ruff's and possibly Tuff's lives in danger. No I need to go somewhere else where he won't be able to find me. Somewhere I know I'm safe._

Just as she was about to exit the house, Dagur had gotten up to chase her down. "You witchy dragon! I'll make you pay for this! I will get you and what I want! One way or another!"

_Dragon! I'll go to the cove! Even if he does follow me, Dragon can easily tear him apart._


	13. Realization

Hey everyone! Well, here it is! The truth of Astrid's feelings. I don't know if she seems a bit OOC but I know I would react this way. In fact, I have. But here we go. From here, it should speed up in pace.

ENJOY!

* * *

With that she ran into the woods. Thankfully the moon was full and gave her some light to see the path to the cove. She ran with all her might, still thinking that Dagur was right behind her, completely ignoring the branches that scratched her body and face.

When she entered the cove, completely out of breath and wide eyed with fear, she saw an empty cove. She couldn't see Dragon anywhere. Or so she thought. Near the edge of the water, a large rock began to move. Then she saw two large green eyes.

"Dragon!" she breathed. "You are here." She then dropped to her knees exhausted. "Thank Thor." She relaxed her hands and two objects thudded to the floor. She was so focused on the grass that she didn't hear Dragon move.

Dragon was surprised to see Astrid that night, especially so late. But when she dropped to her knees and dropped everything, he knew something had happened. He walked over and nuzzled her face.

Astrid looked up and starred into the big, concerned eyes of Dragon. He nuzzled her again wanting to know what happened.

"I'm ok Dragon," Astrid said. Dragon gave her a 'that's a lie' look and Astrid rolled her eyes. "Now, I'm ok." Dragon snorted in approval and sat down expectantly. Astrid sighed seeing that Dragon wouldn't leave her in peace until he knew what happened. "I was attacked in my room."

Dragon growled, narrowed his eyes and barred his teeth. He sniffed her clothes and growled even louder. He expanded his wings with intent to fly off and find the one who attacked her.

"No!" Astrid said stopping Dragon from taking off. His wings compressed, eyes dilated, and teeth retracted as he looked at her. "He's in the middle of Berk. You go there and you'll be out numbered. You'll be killed. Besides, you can't fly. Remember?"

Dragon nuzzled into her shoulder and gurgled. He then ran toward the water and came back with the mug filled with water and presented it to Astrid. She gratefully took it and drank to her heart's content. As Dragon put back the mug, Astrid made herself more comfortable in the middle of the cove.

She sat there and starred at the ground and thought about her mentally scarring experience. She was broken out of her thoughts by Dragon pushing something into the side of her left leg. She looked down and picked up Hiccup's journal.

"How did- I didn't realize I was still holding onto it,"" Astrid said more to herself than anyone else. Dragon gurgled in curiosity at the journal. "I was reading it when Dagur attacked. I didn't know I was still holding onto it."

Dragon sniffed it then narrowed his eyes in confusion. He sniffed Astrid then the journal again and gave Astrid a confused look.

"It's not mine. I don't keep a journal. No, this is someone else's." Once again, Dragon sat on his hind legs waiting for the story. "It belonged to a boy I knew. Hiccup."

Dragon's eyes went wide and he started to rock nervously.

"Do you know who I'm talking about?" Dragon nodded. "Well, unfortunately, he died five years ago at the hands of a dragon. I found it hidden in some logs and I kept it hidden for all these years. I didn't open it until recently."

Dragon stepped closer, eyeing the journal.

"I only really talked to him once and that was because I hit him with my axe. But I found out so much about him in that one experience that I decided to get to know him better but the next day he was dead. When I found his journal, I wanted to read then and there but decided against it because it was his inner thoughts and emotions. I had no right."

Dragon stepped closer.

"I kept it hidden and never opened it. In fact, I forgot about it. It wasn't until Gobber told me a story about him that I became intrigued once again. I battled with myself for a while about reading it but my curiosity won. Besides, Gobber and his dad would have gotten suspicious if I asked too many questions." Astrid scoffed and shook her head. "Why am I telling you this? It's not like you care about what I'm saying right?"

Dragon stepped closer and was now directly in front of Astrid and went for the journal but stopped when he heard a soft sob mixed with another scoff.

"Dragon, he made my axe!" Dragon looked at Astrid. "He made my axe and never said. He thought that I wouldn't touch it if I knew that he made it. Oh gods! I never got to thank him. It's been my trusted friend and ally in battle. It's been through thick and thin. And only because HE made it."

Dragon looked at her sadly and dropped his eyes.

"Did you know he was a genius?" Astrid asked and Dragon shook his head. "Well he was. He wasn't ever strong enough to lift Viking weapons so he invented the crossbow to help him shoot and arrow. It was already invented but he invented it when he was four! He only got better from there. He made my axe, he invented a way to track time! I'm sure he's done more but I haven't read any further yet."

Dragon's eyes were wide with shock.

"He was best friends with his mom and then she di-" Astrid remembered Hiccup's heart wrenching passage and finally broke down. Five years of bottling her emotions, five years of sadness, five years of pain. It all came through at once.

If anyone from the village saw her at this moment, they would have thought her weak and un-Viking but at the moment, she didn't care. She had kept her emotions at bay for too long and the dam broke. When Dragon wrapped his tail and wing around her, she melted into Dragon's body for support.

"I was so horrible to him. I was more concerned about up holding my family name and status that I treated him like a crippled yak because everyone else did. I didn't want to disgrace my family by hanging out with him because apparently that's what would have happened. Looking back, he always tried to talk to me but I ignored him. What if he really needed someone to talk to? I may have hurt him more than I ever would have been."

Dragon gurgled in her hair and petted her with his nose.

"He lost his mom when he turned five. On his birthday! He blames himself for that. He thought that his birthday was a curse that killed his mom. I can relate to him. When my parents died, I blamed myself. I thought if I had done something different, they would be here right now. That pain has never gone away and I was thirteen. I can't imagine how he felt when he was five."

Dragon tightened his encompassing body around Astrid as she continued to spill her emotions out to him.

"I saw the real Hiccup the day before he died. He was selfless, kind, loyal, funny, brave, and open as I read his journal, I see love, sadness, happiness, heart break, doubt, creativity, intelligence, and fear. He was more than I ever thought or ever told he could be. He surprised me in the woods that day and continues to surprise me. I've never met anyone like him and I probably never will."

Dragon placed his head on her back and closed his eyes.

"Gods, I miss him," she whispered.

Astrid continued to sob quietly into Dragon's scaly hide while Dragon continued to comfort herthe best he could. He cooed softly until she calmed down enough to where Dragon feel the tension leave her muscles.

Astrid was at peace. She had released all the tension she had been building up for the past five years. She settled into Dragon's side with no intention of leaving the safety of Dragon's defenses.

"Thank you Dragon," Astrid whispered. "Thank you for listening." With that, Astrid closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Dragon, realizing she wasn't going anywhere, blasted the ground and made a fire to keep his human guest warm. Together, the Night Fury and the Viking slept peacefully entwined together.

* * *

Astrid woke in a strange place. She saw green grass, a blue sky, and a tall bed of rock. She suddenly remembered where she was and relaxed a bit into the hide of Dragon. She then stiffened when she felt that they weren't alone. She slowly turned around and saw four other dragons: a Deadly Nadder, Monstrous Nightmare, Gronkle, and a Zippleback.

_Oh gods! They're not going to be happy seeing a dragon with a Viking._

She tried to get out of Dragon's entanglement which woke him up. He looked at her confused and she pointed to behind him. He looked and his eyes went wide and quickly got up, careful of Astrid. He began to talk to them in his tongue as Astrid stood by and watched.

Dragon argued with them, or so it seemed to Astrid. The Nightmare was in a complete rage. It tried to charge at Astrid but Dragon tackled him to the ground and growled at him. Meanwhile, the Nadder was in disbelief. It just starred at Astrid then at Dragon and just kept going back and forth. The Zippleback argued with themselves on their thought on the matter while the Gronkle just listened.

Finally, Dragon said something that calmed them Monstrous Nightmare stopped flaming, the Nadder's spikes flattened on its tail, the Zippleback stopped fighting, and the Gronkle sat down. They then all looked at Astrid which made her uncomfortable. Dragon continued to talk and soon the dragon's eyes softened and their rage died down.

Dragon turned to Astrid and bounded behind her and slowly pushed her to them. "Hey! What are you doing? They're going to kill me!"

Dragon pushed her in front of the Deadly Nadder which was looking sideways at her. Her blue scales and yellow horns enchanted Astrid though it did little to calm her nerves. Astrid tried to think of a way to show the Nadder that she could trust her but didn't really know how.

_Wait! What about what happened between Dragon and I? I'll try that._

Astrid slowly raised her right arm and extended her hand out to the Nadder but kept a little space between them so that the Nadder could initiate the trust. Surprisingly to Astrid, the Nadder did and Astrid immediately thought of a name for her.

"Stormfly," she whispered. Astrid surprised herself and the sudden naming. She turned to Dragon and asked, "Why couldn't I come up with a name for you?" Dragon just shrugged, in his dragon way.

The moment that Stormfly trusted Astrid, so did the other dragons. They felt safe with her knowing about them and the Nightmare seemed to be forgiving Dragon while the Zippleback heads seemed to be fighting for attention from Astrid.

Astrid though, saw that the sun was beginning the approach the position that indicated she needed to be at breakfast and started to the exit. "I have to go guys. I need to get back or they'll send someone to find me. I'll be back though."

On her way, she picked up Hiccup's journal and her axe and headed back to Berk completely ecstatic about meeting the new dragons. _So Dragon isn't the only dragon that trusts Vikings. I wonder if all dragons are like that of if they're just the very few that do that._

* * *

"Astrid! Astrid!" Gobber called. She didn't leave a note and was not at the Mead Hall. He began to panic. Once again she was missing with no explanation. He ran down the stairs with intent on getting Stoick when he ran into Astrid. "By the gods Astrid! I thought something had happened again! Where were you?"

"I was in the forest and lost track of time. I'm sorry," Astrid said a little out of breath.

"What made you lose track of time?"

"I was reading."

Gobber's eyes went wide with astonishment. "I didn't know that you liked to read."

"I don't, I just found something that interested me."

"What are you reading?"

Astrid froze. _How am I going to lie out of this one? _"Um…a journal."_Really? Why couldn't you just lie to him?_

"A journal? Who's journal? Yours?"

"Yea!" Astrid said too quickly that Gobber narrowed his eyes a little.

"Why?"

"I just wanted to read what I wrote several years ago."

"Well, I didn't know you kept a journal. Is that is right there?"

Astrid scolded herself. "Yes, I keep a journal and yes, it's mine."

"Really?" Gobber said as he crossed his arms. "Cause that looks a lot like the one that used to be attached to Hiccup's arm." Astrid's eyes went wide. "So it isn't yours." Astrid dropped her eyes and slowly shook her head. "Have you been reading it? Is that why you've been asking me all those questions about him?"

"Yes." She looked up and saw Gobber's disapproving look. "I fought with myself to not read it but I really wanted to get to know him."

"Get to know him? Why don't you just ask Stoick or me?"

"Because you would have asked why I was asking you all those questions."

"Well, I'm asking now. Why so interested? He's been dead for five years."

"Almost five years. It'll be five in a month." Gobber gave her a 'really?' look.

"Why read his journal?"

"Because it's the real him. The Hiccup we always saw was clumsy and quiet and always scared. At least that's what people told me and when I saw him, he seemed to solidify those accusations but then I accidently hit him with my axe injuring him and I saw a side that nobody ever sees. The side that he hides for some reason."

"When did you injure him?"

"It was the day before he died."

"Oh. I see."

"He had surprised me over and over again in those few hours we were together. He was funny, brave, kind, sad, scared, happy, intelligent, open minded, and stupid all at once. Did you know he thoughtof me before himself."

Gobber looked at her with confusion on his face. "How did he think of you first?"

"He told me to enter town first. He said he didn't want my reputation hurt because of him."

"Oh."

"He was different. A good different and a bad different. He put way too much on his shoulders. Did you know that he considered his birthday a curse because his mom died on it?"

"No, I didn't but that would explain a lot."

"Or that he invented the crossbow?"

"But it was already invented."

"That's not the point Gobber. The point is that when he was _four_ he invented it so that he could hold a weapon."

Gobber thought about it for a moment then the realization hit him. "You're right. That is pretty impressive. But I always knew he was a genius when it came to that sort of thing."

"He was smart, creative, caring, kind and we shunned him for it! It wasn't right. None of it. We shunned him because he wasn't a Viking! But he was a Viking! More of a Viking than he let on. And he probably paid the price for it."

"What do you mean?"

"Hiccup was the only one who was kind to the witch that was executed five years ago. He set aside the fact that she was the enemy to help her. Because of that and because _he_ was different, she saw _our_ blindness and took the one person that could have led the way. The one person who could've help us. But she wanted _us_ to learn on our own so she took him away. By the look of things, we haven't changed. Whoever would have been our salvation will die because _we are too stubborn_ to learn our lesson. If we just stopped to listen and be more of a-a-a-Hiccup!, then maybe we'd still have our future chief."

Gobber had listened to Astrid's rant and had come to realize something. He slowly smiled and looked at Astrid with a clamed expression.

"What?" Astrid asked when she saw Gobber's strange face.

"I think you just figured out what you're looking for."

"Looking for?"

"In a reason why you have denied all other suitors." With that Gobber turned to head out the door. "I think Stoick would like to see that when you're done. I know it's not right for non-family to read something that personal but because of your reasons I'll ignore it."

Astrid watched as Gobber left. She still was confused at what he said. _What I'm looking for? In a Viking? What is he talking about? All I want is someone kind, caring, brave, understanding and …_

Then she understood. She gasped in realization. For the past five years she hadn't been looking for anyone because she already found the one she wanted, the one she needed.

"For five years, I've been love with Hiccup!" she whispered to herself.


	14. A Day With Hiccup

The moment she admitted it to herself, her chest felt lighter and she smiled. Her cheeks went red and she felt like a little girl before she had responsibilities. But that wonderful feeling and smile went away when she remembered that he was dead and would never be coming back.

She took her axe and Hiccup's journal and went upstairs to change into something more fresh. She then ate a little something then sat in the living room thinking of what she might do today. Her mind wandered back to the cove and the new dragons she met and got an idea.

_I can go there and read more on Hiccup. That way I know I won't be interrupted by Dagur. I know I shouldn't be afraid of him and that's so not me but something about him…I don't know. I feel like he's up to no good. I fear for my life around him. Not to mention the lives of my friends._

She ran upstairs and grabbed her axe and the journal and ran into the forest. Little did she know that someone saw her and began to follow.

Astrid entered the cove and saw that only Dragon was there. She was a bit disappointed for she wanted to see Stormfly again. However, Dragon looked up and was surprised and happy to see her and she was to see him.

"Hi Dragon. How are you?" Dragon just continued to bound up and down with excitement. Astrid laughed at Dragon's excitement which made Dragon stop and stare at her. Astrid stopped laughing.

_I don't remember the last time I laughed or smiled. This is all too much. Everything's changing so fast. I'm probably scarring Dragon with my laughter._

"My laugh probably sounds horrible. It's the first time in years. I won't do it again."

Dragon's eyes went wide and ran up to her shaking his head in disagreement.

"You want me to laugh?" Dragon nodded his head in agreement and smiled a gummy smile. Astrid, in honor of Dragon's head shaking, laughed once again which made Dragon smile wider. However, the wider he got, the more crooked his smile went to his right.

Astrid had never seen a dragon smile let alone heard of one smile and was amazed by it. Astrid smiled back and said, "You know, you are amazing. I've never heard of a dragon like you before."

Astrid sat down in the middle of the field and placed Hiccup's journal on her lap. She was about to open it when Dragon nudged her hand. Astrid looked up and saw… was it nervousness in his eyes? Even his movement screamed nervous. He tossed his weight back and forth from one paw to another.

"It's ok. I've liked Hiccup up to this point. In fact, I think I've liked him for a long time now. Even before I met him in the woods the day before he died. I just want to get a better idea of the boy I fell for. I knew very little of him."

Dragon still seemed nervous but had shock and relief in his eyes. He blinked several times and seemed to be frozen, stunned by her words. Even as she began to read the journal, Dragon still seemed a bit unsure of what to do with himself.

She opened the book and began to read the passages he wrote of things he came up with. He invented a device to see far distances, which he called a telescope, and various winches. He hardly spoke about himself in the time span that the entries took place. However, he continually mentioned that he missed his mom and that his dad hardly spoke to him. She continued to read and went from being sad, to happy, to laughing, to intrigued, to sad again.

She continued reading as Dragon got closer and laid down next to her, reading at the same time. He was intrigued with what was written and drawn. They read how Hiccup hurt himself a lot the first few months of learning to deal with metal and how he found out the hard way that Gobber like to learn on the job. Astrid cringed remembering when he did that in dragon training.

He talked about the story Gobber told her from a different point of view and thought it was just as funny. She giggled. He talked about how painful every burn and cut hurt him but he never let on how much pain he was in even when Gobber asked. He said that Vikings don't let others know about their pain.

The sound of the journal so far was genuinely happy and comfortable but then it abruptly changed to one of loneliness and sadness.

**Everyone seems to have changed. The village doesn't smile at me anymore. They try to avoid eye contact but when we do, it's with disappointment. What have I done? What did I do them? I don't remember ever hurting them or saying something negative about them. However, I've heard them talking. They say things like I won't grow up to be a good leader because I'm so small. What does my size have to do with anything? I just don't understand. I thought you just needed a good mind. **

_You're right Hiccup. A leader needs to have a good head on their shoulders. Size doesn't really matter._

**I'm even being teased for my size by the other kids. I don't know what sparked it. I thought that we were friends. I still do. They all stopped talking to me, even my own cousin. If they do talk to me, it's to tease me. Am I really a fishbone? An embarrassment to my dad? It's like the gods hate me. First they take mom and now they make me unfit to be my village's heir. What did I do to them to deserve this? Mom, you'd know what to do. Please help me. Give me advice, a path to follow. I'm lost and confused and need help but no one will talk to me to give me help. I really need a friend.**

"Oh, gods. I was- we were so cruel to him. He was reaching out but we didn't grab hold," Astrid sniffled. "If only I didn't worry about my family's status so much."

Astrid kept reading. The dates between entries kept getting bigger and filled more with drawings than anything else. She saw many of his inventions and was blown away with how well and detailed they were drawn. He thought about them constantly, she could tell. For someone who wasn't a decade yet, they were intricate.

She flipped through several pictures of Berk's scenery. She saw Thor's beach, the snow top mountains, the canyons, and the village itself. They were all good and very detailed for a young kid but she could still feel the emotion emitting from them.

She was entranced by his designs and his drawings. She was impressed with his in depth knowledge of how weapons should be created, how they should be improved. Then she read the next passage that made her heart flutter.

She remembered this day because she had become more responsible in her parent's eyes, the day she turned ten. She remembered seeing him in the distance but never spoke to him.

**I saw the most beautiful sight today. I was walking to the forge in the early morning when I saw Astrid walk toward Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Fishlegs. She held herself in pride and great self-esteem but something else was different. I stopped and watched as she got closer to the group and saw immediately what had changed. Her hair was no longer in two cute pig tails but in one long braid down her back. With this new style, some of her hair fell to outline her face and it was breathtaking. It seemed to shine even more on the sunlight. **

Astrid blushed a little at his romanticized description of herself. Her hair wasn't anything like what he described. It was just plain blonde and nothing really special. At least in her eyes.

**She also wore a spiked shirt with dark leggings as well as a grey-green shirt that fit her body so well, it shouldn't be possible. She then had on these metal shoulder pads that screamed Astrid and fit her so well. But what really stood out to me was her headband. I've heard of these from my readings and what they signify. It fit well around her head and outlined her face even more. She was now a shield maiden, a girl following her mother's footsteps. **

Astrid blushed even harder. He noticed her in such a respectful way. They only see her body but he saw her symbolism.

**I've always liked Astrid but after this new transformation, that feeling's become something else. I'm awed, impressed, and honored to see such a sight. She's like an angel. I don't think I'll ever look at another girl the same way I look at her. She's the one. I know it because I'm afraid to talk to her now. Isn't that how most guys know? Gobber said that my dad was afraid of my mom before he asked her out. **

Astrid giggled. _I didn't think Stoick was afraid of anything._

**She saw me starring from a distance and took a step toward me and I ran. I didn't really want to explain why I was starring. Luckily, her friends stopped her, taking forever to figure out what was different. Mutton heads. I do think I found the girl I've fallen in love with.**

"Oh. My. Gods! He saw that?! He saw the change immediately? I knew he liked me. Every boy did back then and even now but he respected me and kept his distance. He was watching from afar and caring for me from afar. He even understood what the headband meant. I don't think that Snotlout knows let alone Dagur. I wish more than anything that I could have spent more time with him. To tell him thank you for the kind words."

Dragon's head perked up and he looked at Astrid. He then cooed and nudged her back. She turned and looked at him in confusion.

"What?" he cooed again and he smiled. Astrid nodded in understanding, even though she didn't get the right understanding. "HE can hear me, I know. I just wish I could say it _to _him." She then turned back to the journal while Dragon huffed.

**A few days ago, I was assigned to my first independent project. I was so excited! I spent all my time creating it. I even found some new ways to improve on the axe design. I was almost done when I accidently found out it was a present for Astrid. I overheard Gobber and her dad talking about it being a coming of age present. My first weapon is going to be Astrid's! I'm honored to give her such a present. I spent a few extra hours improving it so that it would fit her best. I made it comfortable to hold on the handle and sharpened it to where it would cut the sharpest and designed the whole thing so it would outlive most of the other weapons on Berk.**

Astrid read wide eyed and in amazement. He was determined to make her axe the best in all of Berk. For a girl he thought he would never get near.

**I presented it to Gobber and he tested it, completely blown away by how well it was made. His words, not mine. I still think I could have done better. **

_Oh, come on Hiccup. It's perfect the way it is._

**I asked him not to tell them who made it and he agreed. I'm afraid she won't touch it if she finds out I made it. Being the runt and the Useless of the village, she might think it will be a curse on her success in life. I don't want that. I want her to have the best weapon in Berk, even if she doesn't know it.**

"Oh, Hiccup. You noble idiot. I wouldn't have thought that. It's a good weapon. I don't care who made it."

She then looked at the next page and saw a drawing of her axe with detailed descriptions on what to change and how those changes would affect the use of the axe. She was in complete awe. She then saw the next couple of pages had other weapons and the same details on them. She thought back and realized that after she got her axe, many of the other weapons got better as well.

She continued to read.

**I saw Astrid practicing in the woods today. She is amazing! I promise I wasn't trying to follow her or anything, it was an accidental stumble across. I promise. But her strength with the axe was amazing. I started to feel sorry for the tree that was her target. But I noticed her form was bugging me. I couldn't figure it out so I took out my journal and drew her stance.**

Astrid looked at the next page and sure enough, there she was swinging her axe. It was a rough sketch of her but all around her were lines and arrows with little commands written around them. It was so busy that she couldn't make out what he was trying to do.

**I figured out later that her feet were in the wrong position, her shoulders were parallel to her target, and she held the axe too close to the blade. If she kept going the way she was going, she would throw out her arm before she was 20. But how do you tell your idol that they are doing something wrong?**

"Idol!? I was his idol?" She continued to read the entry that was written later that day.

**I figured it out! I decided to leave a note on her front door with the tips. I don't know if she'll follow them because she looked angry when she read it. I guess we'll see tomorrow.**

"I remember that. I was upset that someone was critiquing my form. But I'm glad I followed it." She read the entry from the next day.

**She followed it! She actually followed it! I saw the realization on her face and the excitement of a stronger throw. She continued for hours and didn't get tired or sore like she did the day before. She positioned her feet to where they were 90 degrees to each other, her shoulders were perpendicular to her target, and she held the axe closer to the bottom of the handle. And she improved! She enjoyed the improvement. She was ecstatic! I saw it in her face. Too bad if she knew it was me that gave her the advice she would probably go back to old form.**

"Oh man. Now I really wish that I could thank him. His advice is what helped make me the best in weaponry. Not to mention deadly with an axe."

Dragon seemed to perk up again and jump up and down to get her attention.

"What? What is it?" Dragon looked up at the sky then to Astrid. "But you can't fly remember. You're left tail fin is gone. I can't make you fly."

Dragon nodded his head and went over to the journal. With his paws he flipped toward the back of the book till it landed on a drawing of a familiar creature. There, on two pages, was a drawing of Dragon, without his left fin. Underneath the picture was the word **Toothless**.

She gasped realizing something. "Hiccup found you too?! And he named you Toothless?! That's why you didn't want the name Toothless. You were already named that by him."

Dragon nodded then looked back up to the sky.

"But I still can't make you fly." Dragon gestured to the journal again and moved its eyes to indicate 'read'. Astrid turned the page and began to read.

**No one believed me when I said I shot down a Night Fury, so I went to find it on my own. I found it! I really did! I was ready to kill it and take its heart to dad but I did something stupid and looked in the dragon's eyes and saw something. I couldn't kill him. I instead, set him free. The dragon in turn attacked me and pinned me down and I thought I was done but it didn't kill me. Later, I went to find it again and I found it in this majestic cove. After a long struggle and wait, I finally got him to trust me and it was an amazing feeling. I had never touched a dragon before and I touched a Night Fury! I discovered it couldn't fly and that it was my fault but I built a tail for it and after several failed attempts, I got it to work. He could fly but not without me. It was an amazing experience and sight to see. If only the village could stop and look at these creatures the way I do, they too can have a wonderful experience. Berk looks amazing from the sky and so does the ocean and I can't even describe the feeling of flying in the clouds. I can't wait to see Toothless again so I can take him flying once again. He's been cooped up in that cove for weeks. It's the least I can do for taking away his flight. The tail is drawn on the next page with directions of how to work the tail. I don't' want to forget the hard work it took to figure that out. Everything we know about dragons is wrong!**

Astrid looked at the drawing next to the entry and saw what looked like a saddle and a half of Dragon's tail. Connecting it was some sort of long device that was attached to a harness under the saddle. Next to this drawing was six boxes that had different positions of the tail and what each position did. She studied it for a few minutes and was confident that she knew each one by heart but she still couldn't figure out what Dragon wanted.

"This is an amazing contraption but I can't create it. I'm not Hiccup. I don't even think that Gobber could either. He's tried to figure out some of Hiccup's things but failed. What good is this?"

Dragon went back behind the rock and pulled out the drawing in physical form. Astrid was astonished.

"Hiccup created it!" _Well, duh. He said he flew Dragon._ She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. Dragon looked at it then at Astrid then back at the saddle. Astrid's eyes went wide and she shook her head violently. "No. You can't be serious. I'm going to die or you're going to die or we're both going to die. No. I don't know how to operate it."

Dragon looked at Astrid then back at the saddle then at the sky. He then walked over and nudged the journal. He looked at her then back at the saddle.

"Yes, I know I have the directions but I've never done this before. No one besides Hiccup has and he's dead. I don't have anyone to tell me if I'm doing something wrong." Dragon rolled his eyes and Astrid frowned. "Don't you roll your eyes at me!"

Dragon did it again then trotted over to the saddle and sat down, waiting for Astrid to walk over and put it on. She sighed and reluctantly walked over. "I can't believe I'm being pushed around by a dragon." She lightly punched Dragon's left arm and he responded by slightly shoving her. "Hey!"

Dragon rolled his eyes as Astrid began to slowly figure out how the contraption worked. Luckily for her, Hiccup detailed everything and clearly for her and it was no time at all until she had the fake tail on and saw it worked. "Ok, now what?"

Dragon positioned himself perpendicular to her and motioned with his head to get on.

"Oh, no. No. I'm not going to do that. I don't know the contraption enough-" Astrid was cut off by Dragon who lunged at her, picked her up and threw her on his back.

"No! I'm going to die!" she said but it was too late. Dragon leapt off the ground and began to flap his wings. In no time at all, they were hundreds of feet off the ground.

_Oh gods! I'm going to die! _Astrid thought as she closed her eyes and hugged Dragon tightly. She then felt the two of them losing altitude. She opened her eyes when she heard Dragon roar in fear. She saw the fear in his eyes and saw the ground get closer and closer.

_We're going to die! I need to do something. He can't fly without my help. Oh gods! Please help me!_ She looked at the peddles and put her feet in and subconsciously remembered the pedal positions in Hiccup's journal and clicked the tail into that position.

She closed her eyes as she moved her foot, ready for impact but in never came. Instead, she felt the wind gently flow through her hair and mist softly hit her face.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was engulfed in the clouds.


	15. Romantic Flight

Well, everyone. Here we go! Things are only going to get a bit more interesting from here on out. I hope.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Mildew! Open up!" Dagur yelled.

"What in Asgard do you want?" Mildew yelled back as he flung open the door.

Dagur marched in and said, "We need another approach."

"To what?"

"Getting Astrid."

"So, _you _need another approach."

"Whatever."

Mildew looked at Dagur and noticed the left side of his head. "What happened to your head?"

"Astrid. She hit me with her axe last night."

"What did you do?"

"I tried getting her by force again."

Mildew rolled his eyes. "You are a moron! An idiot! She's going to tell!"

"No she won't! I made sure of that. She wouldn't want her friends or her guardian hurt. Not to mention the chief."

"You threatened the chief?!"

"Well, indirectly. Besides it's a he-said-she-said situation. No witnesses. She wouldn't risk her reputation for something like that."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Have you heard anything so far?"

"No."

"Exactly."

"So you want a different approach?"

"Yes. I can't think of anything."

"Well, that's nothing new." Dagur glared at Mildew as he thought and thought then got an evil smile on his face. "Why don't you just use Gobber against her."

"What do you mean?"

"Find a way to trap Gobber. He is like the only family she has. She will do anything to protect her family. Or you can trap one of her closest friends. She'd do anything to protect her friends as well."

"Trap them how? What could I use?"

"I don't know. Just find some way and use them as leverage to get her to succumb to you."

"How do I find that out?"

"Stay back and just observe."

"Stay back!? I need to keep in the action. Need to keep my hands in other people's business to ensure they still know I'm there."

"Stay back or you won't find you leverage or get what you want!"

Dagur was upset that he couldn't do anything but the thought of finally having Astrid willingly outweighed the waiting. He smiled evilly and said, "Very well. I'll wait for the right opportunity."

Astrid slowly looked up at the colorful clouds surrounding her. They were pink and yellow with a hint of purple and danced in a smooth and calming way. They entranced her with their beauty and soon the fear and doubt she had in her heart was replaced with wonder and light.

She slowly released her grip on Dragon and sat up to get a better look. She had only seen the clouds from the ground and loved what they did. They brought shade from the sun, rain for the crops and their water supply, and brought Thor's messages. But now, they were so close and they were more than that. They were a different kind of beauty. A beauty she had never seen before and couldn't quite describe.

However, no one had ever touched the sky or the clouds, except Hiccup, and now she had the opportunity to feel the same experience. A chance to at least know what Hiccup felt and experienced the first time he flew. A chance to have something wonderful in common with him.

She slowly decided to raise her hand into the cloud above her head wanting to know what they felt like. She thought they were like soft sheep wool, just mounds of them in the sky. They'd have to be to block out the sun.

She gasped as her hand entered. _Nothing! It's nothing! There's nothing! _She tried to grab the cloud but she couldn't. _I thought I was going to pull it with me. It's just slightly wet. It's like water in the sky. This is absolutely amazing! I can see why Hiccup couldn't write down in words what he was feeling. I can't even describe how I'm feeling._

She then released her other hand and placed it in the cloud as well. She waved in and out of the cloud with her hands, completely entranced by the new discovery and feeling. She felt like a little girl grinning ridiculously, but she didn't care.

Dragon continued to climb higher into the sky and Astrid subconsciously complied with the prosthetic tail. He continued to fly over the ocean which reflected the sunset. It reflected sparkles of blues, pinks, yellows, oranges, and purples onto the two odd couple flying through the sky. Dragon turned to where his wings and body were perpendicular to the water. Eventually, one of his wings entered the water and Astrid bent toward the water to fun her finders across the water. Astrid giggled with delight and awe. _I've never had this much fun before._ Astrid was blown away by the majestic beauty of it all.

_Is this what Hiccup saw? _She wondered as Dragon continued across the ocean through the canyons._ I hope it was. This is absolutely beautiful! It's pleasant to think he had this image in his mind before he died. Do dragons see this all the time? If they do, I'm slightly jealous. They have a view that no one else gets to see. Except the gods that is. This is absolutely amazing._

Dragon then tilted his head back a bit and they began to glide upside down. Astrid gripped the saddle but didn't cringe in fear or close her eyes. It was more of a not wanting to fall off during this perfect moment. She trusted Dragon enough to let him do what was on his mind. He knew the wonders of the sky and she was willing to let him guide her through the new wonderland of the sky.

She watched as the world spinned upside down then right side up. She saw the ground end up above her head then to be engulfed once again by the clouds. After a few seconds, she couldn't determine if they were still upside down or sideways or right side up. The clouds were everywhere and she had a hard time determining her position.

Dragon then seemed to accelerate in altitude. They climbed and Astrid's sense of direction came back. She relaxed on the saddle once again, knowing she wouldn't fall off. She saw a large wall of pink and orange clouds ahead of them and saw that Dragon was headed straight for it. They entered the colorful clouds with a rainbow sky and exited through shining white clouds with a dark sparkling sky.

She gasped in awe. They were above the cloud line and in the darkness of night. The moon was out and gleamed on the clouds in a way she didn't think was possible. She'd see clouds shine from the moonlight on land but up here, it was breathtaking. The clouds outlined the sky like silk, a fabric she'd seen on Trader Johann's ship not too long ago.

Then the stars. The stars shone brightly above the clouds and danced around her head like fireflies. They twinkled and shined at the two in amazement and excitement. They danced their hearts out. Stars flew across the sky in groups or criss crossed each other leaving long trails behind them while the other stood still and twinkled for them in different colors. Out of nowhere, Arvin Dale's Fire began to light up the sky. It twisted and turned with colors of blue, purple, green, forest green, turquoise, and pale purple-white. It danced as the stars continued with their performance. They danced for the dragon and Viking sharing the beauty of the night as if they were the first audience they had in years.

_This is unbelievable! I'm riding a dragon and seeing the sky like I've never seen it before. _Her heart then briefly was struck with fear. _Arvin Dale's Fire is beautiful up close and I don't see the Flightmare anywhere. _When she was certain the Flightmare wasn't around, she relaxed back into the wonder around her. _It's just us and this marvelous wonder. No wonder Hiccup couldn't wait to fly Dragon again._

Dragon then began to decline in altitude and soon they broke through the clouds and Astrid saw a sight she thought she'd never see. It was Berk from the sky. It was peaceful and serene unlike the crazy life that went on inside the houses. The fires were lit giving Berk a majestic glow that only one could see from the sky. Dragon weaved in and out of the large Viking statues that guarded the island. The light from the fires in their mouths lit up the two for a few seconds as they passed. She smiled brightly at her home and was awestruck by how beautiful it looked.

_I never thought Berk looked nice. I guess because I never took that chance to see it but from here, I know I was wrong. Berk is beautiful. My home is beautiful. This night has been amazing. Everything has been amazing. _"You're amazing," Astrid whispered as she subconsciously patted Dragon's neck.

Dragon looked up at the sudden show of affection. He smiled when he saw Astrid's enlightened and joyed expression. His mission had been accomplished and he felt proud. He began to turn and Astrid complied with the prosthetic.

Soon they landed back into the cove and Astrid was still star struck. Dragon nuzzled her to bring her back to Earth and she looked at Dragon. She smiled brightly and Dragon returned the smile with a crooked gummy one.

"Thank you Dragon. It was an amazing experience. I can see why Hiccup couldn't wait to fly with you again. I know I can't." She smiled and scratched him behind the ear flaps.

He leaned into the scratching, enjoying it but then Astrid moved her hand under his chin and he collapsed in pleasure. Astrid was stunned at what happened. _What just happened?_

"Are you ok?" she asked as she knelt down. She saw that he was fine after she saw the pleased look on his face. His eyes slightly went into his head and his grinning mouth huffed in pleasure. "Oh you're fine." She giggled at his expression. She sat down by the water, waiting for the spell to wear off.

Dragon soon shook the pleasurable feeling away and saw Astrid in the moonlight. He cocked his head a bit then got a crazy idea. He began to run toward her quietly with a smile on his face and was about to softly growl behind her. He suddenly stopped and Astrid turned around so fast when they both heard two voices, one low and one high, scream.

"Astrid! Look out!"

"Has anyone seen Gobber?" Stoick asked as he entered the Great Hall. He received a series shoulders shrugging and uncertain murmurs.

"What's going on Stoick?" Spitelout asked.

"We have a major problem," Stoick told the council. "Mulch and Bucket came back from their fishing expedition."

"How is that a problem?" Spitelout asked again.

"It's a problem, brother, because they didn't bring anything back."

The council began to murmur in hushed voices.

"How is that possible?" one voice asked.

"They've been gone for a month!" another added.

"Where they attacked?" another asked.

"No, no, no. They weren't attacked or anything. They said that they couldn't catch a single fish. They tried several different places and for some reason, the fish had vanished. They said that is might have been the large storm that swept through there recently. They came back without a single fish."

"But winter is coming soon. We need to start stocking," a voice said.

"When is it never winter?" Spitelout asked. "But this really is a problem. If our regular fishing grounds are empty, we don't have time to search for new ones. Not before the storms start coming in."

"That's true Spitelout," Stoick agreed. "But Mulch and Bucket have volunteered to go back out and find a booming fishing area. In the meantime, we have to do our best to ration what we have now. If we don't, we're going to feel it when winter comes."

"What about the elders and the kids. The last time something like this happened, many of them died of starvation," one voice reminded.

The council members shivered when they remembered that winter. Many of them had lost loved ones that winter.

"We will deal with that when the time comes," Stoick said hiding the worry in his voice. "In the meantime, we should stock up as much food as possible. This means eggs, milk, and any vegetables we can afford to part with for a later date."

The council murmured in agreement and dread for what will end up coming.

"Let's go people," Spitelout hollered.

"Meeting adjourned," Stoick said.

The council members began to exit the Great Hall to begin their stocking.

"Is everything that hopeless Stoick?" Spitelout asked.

"I don't know. But we have to be prepared for the worst."

Astrid looked at the two figures in shock. _What are they doing here? How did they even find me?_

Dragon on the other hand starred at them. He didn't know how to react to the two figures. Does he attack or stay where he is? He decided to stay where he was. He didn't want to startle the girl with long blonde hair on each side of her face or the man with a missing foot and an axe for a hand.

The figures on the other hand, decided to attack him. They charged at him with their weapons and hollered at the top of their lungs. He ran in the opposite direction from them. He went forward and backward and even flew slightly over their heads but they still came after him.

They continued to chase him down as Astrid finally got out her stupor. She got up just in time to see that they had cornered Dragon against the rock wall.

"Ruffnut! Gobber! Stop!" Astrid yelled. They didn't hear for they were focused on killing the dragon that was about attack their friend and dependant. Astrid ran and put herself between the two figures and Dragon. "Stop!"

Ruffnut and Gobber looked at Astrid with surprised faces.

"What are you doing?" Ruff asked.

"This dragon was about to kill you," Gobber said.

"No he wasn't."

"Yes he was," Ruff argued. "He was running at you."

"That may be but he wasn't going to hurt me. He just wanted to play." She had heard Dragon get up and try to sneak up on her. She knew was going to try and scare her and she was going to play along.

"Play?" Gobber asked. "Dragons don't play, they kill." Dragon huffed at that remark.

"No they don't."

"Don't what? Play or kill?" Ruff asked.

"They don't always kill."

"Uh did you forget about all the dragon raids?" Ruff asked. "Or the dragon that killed the chief's son?"

Dragon cringed at the mention of Hiccup's death and Astrid saw it. She turned and patted him gently knowing what he must be feeling.

"See! Even he knows about it," Gobber said. He suddenly thought of something and raised his axe hand. "How does he know about that? He must have been the one that killed him." He took a threatening step forward.

"No!" Astrid said forcefully making Gobber stop. Dragon, on the other hand, backed up and lowered his eyes. "Dragon knew Hiccup. He was his friend. Hiccup found him before I did. He was just as upset as we were when he died, I think."

"Hiccup knew this dragon?" Ruff asked. "He betrayed the village all those years ago and now you're following in his footsteps?"

"No, you don't understand. It's not like that at all. He-"

"He's the one that harmed you several days ago wasn't he?" Gobber asked.

"No he wasn't. He-"

"Is he the reason why you won't tell us what happened?" Ruff asked.

"No. I-"

"Or why you keep lying to me?" Gobber asked.

"No, I never wanted to-"

"You've been protecting him? A dragon? Where's the Astrid I befriended?" Ruff asked.

"I'm going to have to tell Stoick about this," Gobber said as he turned to leave. Ruff followed, feeling betrayed by her best friend.

Dragon looked at Astrid worriedly. He was scarred at what was happening and what was about to happen. Astrid looked at her guardian and her best friend as they began to leave. Her shock and fear turned into raging anger.

"This is why Hiccup had to die!" she yelled.


	16. Allies

Well, tonight, I'm going to post two chapters. I've been working on them all day. Well, before and after I had family portraits.

Enjoy!

* * *

Gobber and Ruffnut stopped in their tracks and looked back at Astrid.

"What do you mean?" Ruff asked.

"This," she gestured to the entire scene they were in.

"You just gestured to all of us," Gobber said.

"Yes. I did."

"Why," Gobber asked.

"Because we are the reason for Hiccup's death. We see a dragon and immediately assume it's the enemy."

"That's because it is," Ruff said matter-of-factly.

"No he isn't. He can't even fly." She showed them his tail.

"It looks like he has both his fins," Gobber said.

"Well he doesn't. His left one is fake."

"Did you make it?" Gobber asked.

"Hiccup did. Dragon kept it all these years."

"Ok, but that doesn't explain why you'd defend the monster that injured you," Ruff said.

"He didn't injure me!" Astrid yelled in frustration. "He saved me from Dagur!" Astrid's hands flew to her mouth the moment she realized what she said.

Ruffnut and Gobber looked at each other in realization.

"Dagur hurt you that day in the forest?" Ruff asked in shock.

"Why?" Gobber asked.

Astrid looked nervously at Dragon and he gently nudged her saying that he was right behind her. _There's no lying out of this one. I've said too much. Besides, maybe they can help me. _She sighed and told them what happened.

"Dagur attacked me in the woods when I was practicing. He tried to well, um, uh…"

"He what?" Gobber asked getting a little hysterical.

"He pinned me down and started to remove his clothes and he…"

"Oh gods! He raped you!" Ruff exclaimed. "Tuff was right when he said that might have been what happened."

"Did he succeed?" Gobber asked gently.

"No, I was able to get away. But not without a twisted ankle, losing my axe, and getting hit by one of his daggers. He caught up to me and was about to try again when Dragon scarred him off."

Gobber looked at Dragon in surprise and were secretly grateful to him but didn't quite trust him yet. He was still dangerous in their eyes.

"I ran from his as well because he was a dragon but when I fell into the cove, he took care of me. He went to the village at took a bowl, a mug, and a large sheet."

"You mean the ones that went missing?" Gobber asked.

"Yes. He knew what I needed to temporarily mend my injuries. How he knew, I don't know. He even feed me! He's the one that brought me back to the village to be found!"

"Really?" Ruff asked. "That's one smart dragon."

"He was a friend when Hiccup needed one and he was there when I needed someone to listen."

"I would have listened to you Astrid," Gobber said.

"Me too," Ruff said.

Astrid shook her head. "I couldn't risk telling you at the time."

"Why?" they asked in unison.

"Because Dagur threatened to harm anyone I told. That included the chief." Dragon snapped his head to Astrid in surprise. "I couldn't risk any of you getting hurt. I had no intention of telling Dragon any of it but after I ran here after Dagur broke into my house to try and um, you know…"

"Rape you," Gobber said.

"I sort of broke down. Everything I'd been bottling up for five years came spilling out. Dragon was the unfortunate one to have to go through it all."

Dragon nudged Astrid indicating it wasn't a big deal. He closed his eyes and buried his nose into her hair while he cooed. Astrid giggled while she petted his nose.

Astrid turned back and saw a smile on Ruff's face and shocked expression on Gobber's. "What?"

"You smiled," Ruff said.

"You laughed," Gobber said.

"Yeah."

Ruff smiled wider. "Well. That does it. If what you say is true, I'm not telling Stoick anything about this. In fact, I'll help you keep it a secret."

"What?" Gobber asked.

"Yes. I'm serious. If this dragon saved her from being molested by that creep, brought her back to safety, was there to support her through her emotional time, and was able to break her five year streak of not smiling or laughing, I'm going to be his friend, not his undoing."

Gobber looked at Ruffnut then at Astrid in shock. He didn't know how to deal with this. He then looked at the dragon. He looked at his big eyes and saw the pleading in them. A shiver went up his spine as that looked seemed familiar to him but he couldn't place where he'd seen it. He looked at Astrid and Ruffnut again and sighed in defeat.

"You're right. If this dragon did all of that, he deserves a reward, not death."

Astrid let out a breath of relief and so did Dragon. He began to jump around in excitement and Astrid ran to Gobber and Ruffnut and hugged them.

"I can't believe that I'm going behind Stoick's back for a dragon," Gobber shook his head as Astrid pulled away.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. You won't regret this. I promise."

"Well, aren't you going to introduce us?" Ruff asked.

Astrid led them to a now calmed Dragon and said, "Ruffnut this is Dragon. Dragon, this is Ruffnut." Dragon bent his head down and sniffed her slightly then bowed his head down to indicate 'hello'.

Astrid then pulled Gobber closer and said, "Gobber this is Dragon. Dragon, this is Gobber." Dragon quickly sniffed Gobber but instead of bowing his head, he took a step toward Gobber and hung his head over Gobber's shoulder like a hug.

"Uh, hello Dragon. Have we met before?" Dragon pulled back tried his best to show 'yes and no'.

"Have you seen him before?" Astrid asked. Dragon nodded. "Has he seen you before?" Dragon shook his head slowly in sadness. Astrid caught the sadness but Gobber and Ruffnut didn't.

"So what do we do now?" Ruff asked.

"We cover for her," Gobber said immediately.

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked.

"If anyone tried to follow you here or asks where you are, we'll say something that will get them off your tail."

"And I'll get the gang to make sure Dagur doesn't try anything again."

"You can't tell them why Ruff. It's bad enough that you two know. I don't want everyone hurt if Dagur finds out."

"What do you think he will do?" Ruff asked.

"What my nightmare showed me."

"What did it show you?" Gobber asked.

"It was after I read about Hiccup's mom dying and after Dagur's threat. I dreamed that I told Hiccup and Dagur found out and he killed him."

"That's horrible. I'm sorry you dreamt that," Gobber said.

"Read about Hiccup's mom dying? How are you reading that?" Ruff asked. Astrid walked over to the journal that lay on the floor and showed Ruffnut. Her eyes went wide and she grinned knowingly. "You've been reading a dead guy's journal? The runt's journal?"

"He may have been smaller than the rest of us but he was every bit the Vikings we are," Astrid defended rather snappily.

Ruffnut looked at her friend I confusion then she understood the defensive sound Astrid was taking. "You liked him didn't you?" Astrid nodded unashamed of it. "Oh my gods! You liked the chief's son! This too good!"

Dragon walked up behind Astrid and looked at her with a cocked head and a look that shouted 'she's weird'.

Ruffnut suddenly stopped her excited dance and her face went somber. "But he's dead. You can never be with him. You have to move on."

"That's just it Ruff. When I with Dragon, for some reason, it feels like he isn't. I've had this feeling lately that he's alive out there. That he might come back. I just can't explain it. I know it sounds crazy."

"Yeah. Cause it is."

"Actually, it isn't," Gobber said. Ruffnut, Dragon and Astrid looked at him in confusion. "Ever since I met Dragon, I've had that same feeling. Hiccup might come back."

"You guys are hopeless romantics," Ruffnut said as she shook her head.


	17. Saved From the First Disaster

Astrid, Gobber, and Ruffnut entered the village to find it busy stocking up fish baskets. Every available Viking was carrying a basket to the docks and placing them in a fishing boat.

"Didn't Mulch and Bucket just come back from fishing?" Ruff asked.

"Yeah. They did Ruff," Gobber said.

The three of them wove through the busy Vikings and found Stoick leading the chaos.

"Stoick!" Gobber called.

The chief turned around and found the source of the voice that called him. "Gobber! Where have you been?"

"He was helping me practice in the woods," Astrid quickly covered him.

"What's going on?" Gobber asked. "Why are we restocking the fishing baskets?"

"Because we didn't get any fish from the last expedition."

"What?" the three of them said together.

"Aye. All of our fishings grounds were completely dry. Mulch and Bucket are preparing to go back out in two days to find new grounds."

"But it's too close to the beginning of winter," Gobber said. "They might get stranded and freeze to death."

"They said they wouldn't have it any other way. Even if I ordered them to stay, they said they would disobey my order and go."

"Stubborn Vikings," Astrid said.

"In the meantime, starting tomorrow, we are going to start rationing food and storing what we can away for the winter season."

"Sounds good. I don't want to starve during winter," Ruff says.

"Or during devastating winter," Astrid added.

"I suggest you get some good sleep tonight. It's going to be a hard day tomorrow," Stoick said as he turned to help one of the elders with their cart.

"Alright," Gobber said. "Goodnight lasses. See you tomorrow."

"Astrid," Ruffnut said as she grabbed Astrid's hand. "You're coming with me."

"Where?"

"To my house."

"Why?"

"To sleep. Since Dagur has broken into your home, he can do it again. Once he finds out you're alone, he'll take another opportunity to attack."

"Won't Tuff ask questions?"

"So what if he does. I'll punch him." Ruffnut opened the door of her house and dragged Astrid upstairs to her room. She opened to find Tuffnut hanging upside down off of the ceiling support beams.

"What is she doing here?" Tuffnut asked.

"None of your business," Ruffnut snapped.

"Ruff invited me over for a sleepover," Astrid said.

"You agreed to a sleepover?" Tuffnut said. "I think you're losing it." He then looked expectantly at the door. "What about the others?"

"What others?" Ruffnut asked as she prepared a bed for Astrid.

"The other girls. Don't you do this usually as a group?"

"Yeah but this time it's just me and Astrid. Besides, you and Heather wouldn't get any sleep if you know what I mean."

Astrid blushed at the thought and so did Tuffnut but then a got mad. "I wouldn't do that! We wouldn't do that!" Ruffnut gave her brother a 'really?' look and he sighed in defeat. "Ok, we might."

Astrid and Ruffnut giggled quietly but Tuffnut saw the looks on their faces. "Shut up and go to bed."

"Agreed," Astrid nodded. She slipped into the make shift bed and got comfortable. "Night Ruff and Tuff."

"Night Astrid," the twins said together.

Astrid fell asleep easily without worrying about Dagur. She had a small smile plastered to her face as she dreamt of the flight she had earlier that night with Dragon.

Astrid and the rest of the gang spent all day gathering what food they could get their hands on to put in storage. They took several trips up and down the mountain to bring Mildew's cabbage down all the while the gang ensured that Dagur remained a good distance from Astrid.

The others had asked why they were doing this but all they got was a snappy remark from Ruffnut that stopped them from asking. When it got too dark to do anymore, Astrid made her way to the cove to see Dragon. Though she couldn't' stay long because she was tired from the day's work.

Dragon was excited to see her and ran around her with a gummy smile. Astrid, in return, gave him a tired smile. Dragon stopped and cooed in a worried tone.

"I'm fine Dragon. I just am so tired from today's stocking. Our fisherman didn't comeback with any fish. Apparently, the grounds we fish at were completely dry. Now we have no food to stock for winter and Mulch and Bucket are going to risk their lives to try and find some fish."

Dragon looked confused and just as worried as everyone else was in the village.

"Don't worry. We've been through this before. We're Vikings. We're tough. We can handle it. I'm going to have to put off that flight till tomorrow. Hopefully I won't be so tired. See you tomorrow."

She patted Dragon and headed back to Berk. When she was about half way, she heard a strange call echo through the forest. It wasn't anything threatening so Astrid shook it off and continued to Berk. As she was about to head home, someone grabbed her hand and began to drag her.

"Hey-" Astrid started but stopped when she saw it was Ruffnut.

"You're staying with us again."

"You know, if you keep doing this, Dagur will figure out that you know. He'll come after you and maybe even Tuffnut."

"Fine. Tomorrow you can sleep in your house but Gobber will stay with you. If he can't then you'll stay with me again."

"No, I'll go to the cove. I've spent the night there before. I'm also safe with Dragon."

Ruffnut dragged her back upstairs and was about to open the door when she said, "Ok. We'll do it this way. Tomorrow, find out when Gobber can stay at your place then we'll split the remaining nights between Dragon and me."

"Sounds good to me."

Ruffnut opened the door and lead Astrid in. Tuffnut sighed and began to say, "Another slee-"

"Shut up!" Ruffnut snapped.

Tuffnut raised his hands in surrender. "Geez. Who stomped on your head?"

"You did this morning, remember?"

Tuffnut thought then shook his head. "Nope. Maybe it was someone who looked like me."

Astrid rolled her eyes and went back to bed. "Night you two."

For the next several days, the village continued this routine. Astrid alternated between her house and Ruff's and was soon getting tired of it. At least she informed Dragon what was going on. She was sure he'd come looking for her if she didn't come and visit him several days in a row.

The next morning, the twins and Astrid woke to the entire village in a clatter. They ran downstairs and found the entire village surrounding the storage house.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked.

"You know how we thought we were going to starve this winter?" Fishlegs asked from her left followed by the others.

"Yeah," Ruffnut nodded.

"Well, we aren't," Camicazi finished.

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked.

"The chief found the fish baskets we were going to load on Mulch and Bucket's boat over flowing with fish!" Heather exclaimed.

"What!" the twins and Astrid exclaimed together.

"It's a miracle from Thor," Snotlout added.

"So all that lugging we did was for nothing?" Tuffnut asked. "Well, that's disappointing."

"But how did this happen? Nothing like this has happened before," Astrid said.

"I don't know and I don't care," Fishlegs said. "At least I know I'm not going to go hungry this winter."

"Here here!" the others cheered.

The teens headed to the Mead Hall to fill their stomachs and didn't notice Astrid had stayed behind. As the remaining crowd dispersed, Astrid began to look around for any clues to where the fish came from. As she expanded her search, she unknowingly headed to the forest and saw what she was looking for. It was a footprint and she'd seen it before.

She smiled and headed for the cove. When she got there, she saw the other dragons flying away and saw Dragon go to his little alcove and lay down to sleep. She snuck in and approached Dragon. She quietly coughed to get his attention but still made him jump a little.

Astrid giggled. "Did I scare you? That's a new one." Astrid saw the tiredness in Dragon's eyes and came to a conclusion. "You were up all night weren't you?" Dragon nodded. "And the other dragons as well?" Dragon nodded again. "The five of you brought us the fish didn't you?" Dragon nodded again in shyness. "There's no need to be shy. You saved our village and probably two of the villager's lives. You guys are our salvation. Thank you. And please pass that on to the others."

Astrid smiled at Dragon and Dragon smiled back tiredly. Astrid moved forward and sat down by Dragon's head and began to pet his head. He cooed in comfort and soon fell asleep.

"Tonight we can go for another flight," Astrid whispered as she slowly got up to head back toward Berk.

When she entered the village again, she saw Ruffnut and Gobber talking to Dagur. Ruffnut tried to keep a neutral face but Astrid saw that she was trying hard not to tear him apart right then and there.

"I'm sorry Dagur," Gobber said. "Astrid said something about going to Thor's Beach today."

"She said she had some thinking to do. Said something was on her mind, "Ruffnut said.

"I don't know when she'll be back."

"Oh. Thanks Gobber. Ruffnut," Dagur said as he headed toward Thor's Beach to secretly spy on Astrid.

"That creep!" Ruffnut fumed as he was out of earshot. "He's head down there to attack her again."

"Well, we both know she isn't there," Gobber said.

"No, I'm right here."

They turned to see Astrid beaming.

"What happened?" Ruffnut asked.

Astrid dragged them into the forge. She led them to the back room and looked to make sure no one was around to hear them.

"I found out how the fish got here."

"How?" Gobber asked.

"Dragon."

"Dragon? But he can't fly," Ruff said.

"No, he had his friends do the fishing I think. He showed them where to put them."

"How do you know?" Gobber asked.

"I saw Dragon's footprint near the storage house and when I got the cove, the other dragons were leaving."

"Wait. Other dragons?" Ruffnut asked.

"Yeah. A Deadly Nadder, a Monstrous Nightmare, a Zippleback, and a Gronkle."

"You know these other dragons?"

"Yeah Gobber. I met them before. Ironically, they reacted the same way to me that you did towards Dragon."

"Oh."

"So you're friends with the other dragons as well?" Ruffnut asked.

"I guess you can say that. I only met them once but they trust me and are comfortable with me."

"Impressive," Gobber said. "You've been busy."

"Well, those dragons have become Berk's salvation," Ruffnut said nonchalantly.


	18. Hiccup With A Side of Disaster

Hey Guys. Sorry I update yesterday. I was busy with my sisters. I took my younger sister to go see X-Men Days of Future Past for her birthday. She's a Marvel fan and absolutely enjoyed it. It was a good movie I highly recommend it. Then later I took her and my youngest sister to the pool to swim. By the time I got home, I was completely exhausted. The heat didn't help me either. me and heat are like water and electricity. We don't get along.

But here we go. I believe this is a long chapter. I might even add another later. Here we get a little of Stoick's side even though he's no thte one telling it. Nonetheless, ENJOY!

* * *

Later that day, Astrid went back to the cove. When she entered, she found Dragon still sleeping in his alcove. She smiled and sat down by rock by the waterline. _Well, he did just save all of Berk. I'll let him sleep._

She was glad that she brought Hiccup's journal to read. _I can pick up where I left off._

**I ran into Astrid today. Literally. I wanted to say hi but I made a complete fool of myself. Well, when haven't I? I stuttered and stumbled all over myself and she looked at me like I had two heads. Gods, why can't I just be me around her? Be me? That will definitely scare her away. Now she'll never give me a chance. Maybe they're right maybe I am useless.**

_No you're not Hiccup. _She read the next entry.

**I disappeared a few days ago. I had a sudden pull to where mom was buried. I think it was all the talk of how I was useless and an embarrassment to my dad. I really needed someone to talk to. To comfort me. To say I'm not useless or a runt or a bad omen or any other cruel thing they can call me. I just broke down and cried at her grave. I'm glad no one saw me. It would give them more fuel they can use against me. **

_Why do you do this to yourself Hiccup? I know that we weren't exactly the best people but there must have been some way we could help with your burden._

**Or so I thought. I was terrified when Snotlout's hand landed on my shoulder. I was scared but I didn't care at the moment if he was going make fun but he didn't. He comforted me instead. I asked what he was doing here. He said that dad asked him to help find me. Said that everyone was looking for me. He said that he knew where I was going to be. He said that he understood what I was feeling. That he missed Aunt Valka was well. He sat there with me until I felt better. We walked back together but he said that he was still going to make my life hell. Yeah. Me. It didn't get any better when I got home. My dad yelled at me for disappearing like that. Right now I don't really care. All I wanted was a friend, a dad, but do I have any of that. No.**

_Oh Hiccup. I'm so sorry. Snotlout, I didn't know you could be sensitive but to go back and tease the hell out of him. Not cool._ She was glad that the next entry was a bit more cheerful.

**I really like the forge. It's the one place I can be myself. Yeah, Gobber sort of says things like other people in Berk, but apart from that he's quite supportive. He has encouraged me on my projects and with every new assignment he gives me. He always says positive things about my work but also criticizes it so I could improve. I feel like he's the only one in this entire village who is giving me a chance. **

_I really hope that isn't true._

**He unknowingly helps me through hard times and gives great advice. He always knows how to cheer me up. He soon found out that one of his extreme stories puts a smile on my face. I know that they are made up but it's the way he tells them like they're fact and so animated that makes all the difference. I really wish dad was like Gobber at times. Sometimes, I really want my dad to be there. I want my dad to be proud of me, my dad to congratulate me, my dad to be there when I'm down, my dad to make me laugh. Is that so much to ask? I'm glad Gobber is there for that but I really want my dad to be the one who does that.**

_Hiccup completely adores Gobber! I wonder if he knows that? _She read the next entry.

**Have I done something to please the gods? I must have because I had a dream come true.**

_What happened? What dream came true?_

**I was in the Mead Hall after a long day in the forge. Dad was preparing another offensive on the dragons so everyone was sharpening their weapons. All the food was gone but there was a pot of chicken broth over the fire and I decided to have that. As I passed the table where the other kids sit, Snotlout tripped me and I was covered in my own soup. Snotlout and the twins laughed at me and I went to my table and sat alone, as always. I was surprised when a hand landed on my shoulder and I prepared to try and defend myself from one of Snotlout's punches. **

_Wait. Snotlout's punched him?_

**But it never came. I turned and saw Astrid standing there with her bowl of mutton. I figured if she was going to pour her soup on me too, I wouldn't mind. Plus, I was too tired to really care. But she didn't. Instead, she said that she wasn't hungry and gave me her bowl. I thanked her as I finally saw her eyes, my dream. My gods, they are amazing. I felt like I was swimming in the most beautiful ocean in the world. I was captivated. Was it weird that I felt she looked at my eyes as well? Is that too much to wish for? I think it is but it won't stop me from dreaming again.**

_I remember that. I felt bad for him and decided to give him my food. He needed it more than I did anyway. And I do remember looking at his eyes. Come to think of it, I think it was the time I started to unknowingly fall for him._

As Astrid read the next entry, Dragon woke up and silently walked over and sat next to Astrid.

**Today was a mix of good and bad. It started great! When I went down for breakfast, dad said good morning to me! He actually remembered I was there. I thought he forgot he had a son. Work at the forge went fantastic! I got to sharpen Astrid's axe today. She stood there and waited for the axe. I tried to make conversation and she answered but with only yeah's and no's but she still answered. She actually answered me! I think I'm imagining all of this. **

_I remember that. He never tried to hit on me, he just tried to talk to me. I wish I said more than that._

**Later today, though, is when things started to go south. It started when the wind began to blow hard. Gobber was at the Mead Hall trying to find dad for some reason so it was just me. The wind began to blow hard and the embers from the fire pit began to blow out and to one of the houses. It began to catch fire and I put it out but the other embers began to fly out as well. I tried to put the cover on the pit but it was too heavy. I tried, I did. I even ran everywhere to put the fires out. By this time, the village saw what was happening and called my dad. Did he say anything about me trying to stop the fires? No. He just sent his embarrassment of a son to the house to not leave for the rest of the day. It's not my fault that the cover was too heavy or that I'm too small. I tried my best. Once again, Hiccup the Useless strikes again.**

"That wasn't right. He tried. He saved several homes. I remember that happening. I even saw what he was doing. I was about to help when the adults came."

Dragon nudged her shoulder and Astrid jumped a little.

"When did you get over here?" Dragon tried to shrug.

"He's been there a while and so have I," Gobber said.

Astrid and Dragon looked behind the rock and saw Gobber standing there. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to thank Dragon myself for what he and the others did. So, uh, thank you."

Dragon bowed his head.

"Hey, Gobber. Can I ask you something?" Astrid said.

"You just did."

"Haha. Funny."

"What is it lass?" Gobber asked as he absentmindedly patted Dragon's head.

"Do you remember the huge wind storm that blew through Berk and the embers from the forge started to catch people's houses on fire?"

"And Hiccup did his best to stop them and put the cover on the pit?" Gobber finished. "Yeah I remember that. Why?"

"Did anyone see the good he was trying to do?"

"I did. I mentioned it to him the next day but the village was in an uproar about how he was too weak to close the pit. I did mention the fact that he did save all of their houses. They shut up after that. Even Stoick took it easy on the boy. He was going to keep him in the house for the rest of the week for the almost disaster but I convinced him otherwise."

"I saw as well what he was doing but I didn't get a chance to help. I wanted to say something, to tell him good job but I didn't."

"That's not true lass. You did."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you come back to the forge the next day?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, I remember because you had just sharpened your axe and I could see Hiccup knew as much as I did. He even looked confused when you said that you wanted it sharpened. He looked for a part of the blade to sharpen and found a little something but it didn't do much. When he handed it back you said thank you. I saw you look at the pit when you said that and so did Hiccup. After you left, he was beaming something fierce. His role model had seen the good he was trying to do and thanked him for it."

"I don't remember I did that."

"I think it was involuntary. You really didn't have control. You were never one to hide your true feelings around Hiccup. It's as if his bravery of letting people see his weaknesses rubbed off on people he came in contact with. I know it did to me."

"What do you mean?"

"The day Hiccup died. It was the worst day of my life. When I went to bed that night, I did a very un-Viking thing and cried. I cried my heart out. He was like a nephew to me. I loved him. I know Stoick did the same thing because the next morning his eyes were just as red as mine."

Dragon slouched in sadness. He looked at Gobber and quickly threw his head over Gobber's shoulder and held him the best he could.

"What is this for?" Gobber asked Astrid.

"I don't know."

"How did you react?" Gobber asked Astrid point blank.

Astrid shrugged as Dragon looked at her with anticipation. "I thought I didn't react. I knew I was upset and lost. I felt as if something was ripped away from me. I had decided to screw my status and get to know him and then he was taken. I was sad and angry. I didn't cry or anything. I didn't know him. Apparently, I stopped laughing and smiling. Even my parents saw that. I didn't know it was connected to Hiccup."

Astrid thought about it and realized she even stopped going to the forge. She'd ask Gobber when he was away from the forge to sharpen her axe or had her parents take it.

"Oh my gods! I never realized how much my schedule revolved around Hiccup!" Astrid said in realization. Astrid began to tear up just thinking about how much her life changed the moment he died. Dragon ran up to her and hung his head over her shoulder and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thanks Dragon," Astrid said as she stifled her tears.

She backed up and looked at Dragon's eyes and smiled. "How about that flight now?"

Dragon smiled for a second then stiffened. He sniffed the air and shook his head as he sneezed. He looked at Astrid with saddened eyes. "What's wrong?" He looked at the sky once again. Just as Astrid turned to look as well, as if on cue, the wind began to blow. Off in the distance, she could see dark clouds brewing and approaching fast.

Dragon's eyes went wide and got behind Astrid and started to push her toward the exit with hasty movements. As he passed Gobber, he did the same thing and soon had the two of them almost out of the cove.

"What is it?" Gobber asked.

"He wants us to get back to Berk. There's a storm coming."

Dragon nodded and looked at them with pleading eyes.

"Alright," Gobber said seeing the urgency in Dragon's eyes. "We'll get there fast."

With that, Gobber and Astrid ran toward Berk. As they entered the village, they saw the villagers running to their houses and locking their doors and windows. At the center of the village was Stoick watching to ensure that everyone was safe as he hollered.

"Into your houses! A storms a coming. Lock your doors. It's going to be a fierce one."

Gobber led Astrid to her house and entered just as it began to rain. Together they were able to lock up the house in no time. Gobber was about to leave to go to his house when they saw that a ferocious blizzard had started to form.

"Well, I guess I'm staying here," he said calmly.

He made a fire in the pit and pulled up a chair to sit down and stay warm. Astrid joined him after she grabbed two blankets to wrap around themselves.

"This is strange. We shouldn't have our first blizzard for another three months," Astrid said.

"I know. But we can't control the weather."

"I just hope it doesn't last too long. Our houses aren't stalked for a siege."

"I know what you mean. But I think that we'll be ok."

Silence fell over the two but it wasn't silent in the room. The howling of the storm filled the room with a feeling of upcoming doom.

"Gobber," Astrid started.

"Yeah?"

"Did Stoick ever talk about Hiccup in a positive way?"

Gobber's eyes went wide. "Why do you want to know?"

"From Hiccup's journal, it sounds as if he either forgot Hiccup was his son or that he constantly berated him. I was just wondering if he was wrong."

"Hiccup and Stoick had a very strained relationship. They used to be close but after Valka's death, everything changed."

"Why?"

"Well, for one, they both mourned in different ways. Stoick buried himself in his chiefing while Hiccup had his nose in his journal or at sheets of paper drawing anything that came into his head."

"But what about after that?"

"They never really got over her death. However, Stoick did enough to realize that Hiccup was still there and tried to be a good father but..."

"But what?"

"Hiccup was so much like his mother. He had her wide eyes and thin form, not to mention her personality. He was his mother's son. Stoick told me that he had a hard time keeping his eyes on Hiccup because he looked so much like her. He even acted like her. I was never because he hated Hiccup, it was just that he was constantly reminded of the loss of the one woman he ever loved."

"Well Hiccup saw it as if Stoick blamed him for her death. At least that's how interpreted it."

"Around that time too, there was talk around the village that Stoick was getting soft and that he was unfit to be chief."

"What? Who would start something like that?"

"Alvin the Treacherous before he was banished."

"But what did that have to do with his relationship with Hiccup?"

"Stoick went to prove to the village that wasn't true and ended up being extra hard on Hiccup. He didn't want to show weakness or favoritism and therefore treat Hiccup like he would anyone else. Even in the home."

"He didn't stop?"

"No. He got so used to it and so into his façade, that he couldn't break out of it."

"That's horrible but it wasn't his fault. He was pushed into it."

"Then as Hiccup began to grow, Stoick began to notice that Hiccup was different."

"Different?"

"Your reading his journal. You know how different. Hiccup wasn't growing up like he did. Stoick didn't know how to raise someone who wasn't like him. Valka wasn't there to help and no one else did either. He decided to try and turn Hiccup into someone like himself but the harder he tried, the harder Hiccup fought, even though he didn't know it."

"What do you mean?"

"Stoick had Hiccup apprentice with me in hopes that he would bulk up but that didn't happen. Instead, he found his calling. He was amazing with metal. It even fueled his need to draw and come up with outlandish inventions.

"His inventions were his way of rebelling?"

"In a way. Hiccup voiced several times that he knew that he would never be like Stoick. He thought that if he showed Stoick that he could help the village with his inventions that he would stop being angry at him all the time and see the good that he could do."

"Well, from what I saw, if he had a chance to create them, they would have helped Berk."

"I saw a few of his drawings and his ideas and thought that maybe or impossible. I never told him though. Didn't want to squash his excitement. He even made a few like his eye glass."

"Eye glass?"

"Yeah. He tried to make something to see the stars. I think he called it a telescope but he wasn't big enough for something like that, so he shortened it. When he finished, he really couldn't see the sky differently but when he pointed it elsewhere on Berk, he found that he could see the far side of the island."

"That's impressive. If it worked, why aren't we using them?"

"No one but me really knew about it. He didn't like it, said something about it not being what he wanted. He was going to through it away but I kept it."

"You did? Do you have it right now?" Gobber nodded and took it out of his pocket. He handed it to Astrid and she looked at it with fascination.

"Do you use it?"

"Yes I do. It's come in handy for spotting ships. I've presented it to others but they really didn't like the change or really understood how the eye glass worked."

"That's too bad. It's a great invention." Astrid handed it back and Gobber put it back in his pocket.

"Aye. It is and Stoick didn't see Hiccup's knack for inventing. He saw it as a weakness for a future chief only because he didn't really understand how they would help."

"I can see that. I know I don't take time with things if I don't understand them."

"But Hiccup never stopped trying. Over and over again he would redraw, redesign, and remake his ideas until they worked. As I said before, the more fiddling he did, the more insightful he got and was able to improve on old designs."

"He was something wasn't he?"

"Yes he was and he was hurt for it."

"I know. I was one of the ones that hurt him."

"Lass, no you weren't. I think you were the only one that really didn't hurt him."

"I hardly spoke to him. I didn't give him a time of day. How was that not hurting him?"

"You never called him names. You never laughed at his mistakes or teased him about his size and weaknesses. To others, when you spoke to him, it was harsh words but to him, it was kind criticism."

"What?"

"You were the only one his age to try and give him advice to make him better. You made it sound harsh to convince others who were watching that you treated him the same but you never insulted him."

"I always felt I was too hard on him."

"Nope. He always had his head in the clouds and you brought him back to the ground." Astrid giggled. "What?"

"Head in the clouds. It's funny because he was the first to literally have his head in the clouds."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Because he's Hiccup. He sees things differently."

"So true." He then listened to the howling wind and noticed it got louder and fiercer. "I suggest we get some sleep. It doesn't show signs of stopping soon. Night, Astrid."

"Night, Gobber." Astrid continued to stare at the flames and listen to wind as it found nooks and crannies to blow through. The noise was relaxing but still put a shiver down her spine. Something about this sudden change of weather was unnatural.

_So our fishing grounds go dry and we get an out-of-the-blue blizzard. Could it be the one that Mulch and Bucket were talking about? Maybe this storm scared them away. I know that I'd go somewhere else if I lived in water._

Astrid dozed in and out of sleep. By what would have been morning, she was wide awake and the storm had stopped. She went to open the door and was met with a wall of white.

"Uhhhh! Gobber," Astrid said. She turned and saw he was still asleep. "Gobber!" she hollered.

Gobber jolted awake. "Huh? What?"

"Come look at this." Gobber got up and stood next to Astrid. "I see nothing but white."

"The snow has covered the door."

Gobber woke completely and his eyes went wide. "Have you checked the upstairs windows?"

"Not yet." Astrid left the door and ran upstairs. She opened every window and saw nothing but white. She even tried to push against it to see if it would fall away but it wouldn't budge. She ran back downstairs with panic in her eyes.

"Gobber. The windows are covered too. All of Berk must be under snow!"

"That's impossible! It's never snowed this much here before. All the houses can't be covered."

"But what if they are? We have no way of getting out. We can't get food and we can't more firewood. What we have in here is all that we have."

"And that will only last us for today. We'll freeze before we go hungry."

"Then we need to try and get out. Let's see if we can dig ourselves out."

Astrid and Gobber began to pull snow out of the wall in the door. They let it fall into the house, knowing that the hotter temperature would melt it. They dug all day and they didn't get anywhere. They even tried the windows upstairs but they still didn't break out. After hours of trying to escape, they stopped, hungry and cold.

The fire had died out a long time ago but there was no point in relighting it. They weren't in the room anyway and they needed to make the wood last as long as possible. Even when they went to sit down, they didn't light it. They wrapped themselves in blankets to try and warm themselves but being trapped under several feet of snow, the heat that kept the house warm soon was cooled down. They were sitting in an box of ice with no way to keep warm.

When then couldn't keep warm any longer with just blankets, they decided to light the fire once again. Once the fire was light and relief came to their bodies, they suddenly felt how tired they were. Before they knew it, they were both sound asleep with no intent on waking up if there was no way to get out.

For the next few days they continued the same routine. They tried to dig themselves out but never broke through. They didn't light the fire till it was absolutely necessary and rationed the food that was in the pantry while the rest of the time, they just slept.

Then one day they were both jolted awake by a pounding on the door. "Hey! You alright in there?" someone yelled.

Astrid jumped up and threw open the door to see that most of the snow had melted away. "But-how?"

"Trust me lass. Everyone's been asking the same question."


	19. Gobber Flies

Well, here's another chapter. Things are going to really get moving from here.

ENJOY!

* * *

Gobber and Astrid climbed out of their house to see that most of the snow melted away. But it wasn't an even distribution. There was still snow piled against the houses but in the middle of the streets and lanes, it was completely clear.

"Wow," Gobber said. "It's as if someone just cleared to snow so that they could walk though Berk."

"I know," Astrid said. "But who?"

They walked around and saw other Vikings helping people out of their homes. Astrid and Gobber came up to Ruff and Tuff's house and saw that no one was helping.

"Ruff? Tuff?" Astrid called.

"Mr. and Mrs. Thorston?" Gobber asked.

"We're still alive!" they heard Ruff holler.

"We're saved!" Tuff said dramatically.

Astrid rolled her eyes as she began to dig a pathway to the door. Gobber joined in just as the other teens met up with them.

"So…who's a bit weirded out by this weather?" Snotlout asked.

"I believe we all are," Camicazi said.

They finally got through and Fishlegs was the first to push forward and grab Ruffnut's hand. He pulled her out and hugged her. "Are you alright darling?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit cold that's all."

"Yeah, well I'm hungry and cold," Tuff said as he was pulled out by Gobber. He then saw Heather and ran up to her and hugged her. "How about you? Did you survive alright?"

"I'm here aren't I?" Heather asked sweetly.

"Ok, now that the romantic reunion is over, is anyone else concerned about who cleared the streets for us?" Camicazi asked.

"Without doing the houses?" Snotlout asked.

"Hey!" Fishlegs interjected. "We had to stand around while you two got it on." Snotlout and Camicazi turned slightly red at being reminded about it.

"But they have a point," Heather said. "Who did this?"

As the teens argued, Ruff pulled Astrid aside and whispered, "I think I know who did this."

"Who?"

"Last night, I was up because I slept all day with nothing to do…"

"Didn't you try to get out?"

"Our parents did. They forced us to stay by the fire."

"Oh."

"Anyway. I was up and slowly I began to hear a noise like a fire blazing outside."

"Fire?"

"Yeah. I also heard loud flapping like an army of birds were flying through."

"The dragons! They melted the ice for us."

"That's what I was thinking. But if they did, why didn't do a complete job?"

Astrid thought for a second and came up with an answer. "Maybe because of their shot limit. They knew they had to clear the snow with the number of shots that they had and decided that we could get out with what they did."

"And we did."

"Yep."

"Ruff! Come on. We need to help the others," her mom called.

"Talk to you later," Ruff said as she joined her parents. Moments later Astrid heard Ruff's parents yelling at them to stop fighting.

Astrid walked up to Gobber as he headed to the Great Hall. At the top of the stairs they saw Stoick and Gothi start to enter.

"Stoick!" Gobber called. The chief stopped and turned while Gothi continued in.

"Gobber. I didn't find you in the forge or your house. I thought something happened."

"No. Just stayed with Astrid. How's the village?"

"We had a few of the younger ones get real sick from the sudden cold and the elders are having a hard time moving. Some of their joints froze."

"That doesn't sound fun," Astrid said cringing.

"No it doesn't. Well, I'm going to help Gothi for a while then join the village in clearing the snow. We are having one weird month so far."

"Tell me about it," Astrid mumbled.

Astrid and Gobber entered the village and helped move the snow away from the houses and either out it near fires to melt or just redistributed it so that it was easier to get into their houses. By the time Stoick joined them, the work was pretty much done.

"Come on Gobber," Astrid said.

"What is it Astrid?"

"We have Dragon to thank."

"What? He did this?"

"And probably the others as well."

Astrid and Gobber walked to the cove and the farther they got from Berk, the less snow there was. In fact, a hundred yards into the forest there wasn't any snow.

"That's weird. It's like it just snowed on the village," Astrid observed.

"Certainly seems that way."

They entered the cove just in time to see Dragon stretching from his slumber. He sensed them and immediately turned to them with a gummy smile.

"Did you just get up?" Astrid asked. Dragon nodded in embarrassment.

"Did your late slumber have something to do with clearing the snow from Berk?" Gobber asked. Dragon nodded shyly. "There's no need to be shy Dragon. We're grateful for it."

"Thank you again Dragon. And thank your friends too. I have a feeling they helped too." Dragon nodded and nudged Astrid gently.

"We could have died I that in blizzard. We weren't stocked in our houses because we tried to stock the food storage and the storm was too bad that we couldn't get firewood from outside."

Dragon gurgled in distress and worry. "Don't worry Dragon. You saved us. We are all grateful to you and your friends. The others are too, they are just too confused right now about who cleared the snow." Astrid giggled again causing Dragon and Gobber to laugh as well.

"You've definitely been good for Astrid, Dragon. I don't think I remember the last time I heard her laugh before she met you."

"Anyway," Astrid said trying ti change the subject. "How can we thank you?"

Dragon jumped up and down in excitement and turned perpendicular to Astrid so she could get on. The saddle was still on from the last flight but Dragon didn't mind.

"A flight? I'm up for that."

"Whoa! Wait a minute missy. A flight?" Gobber asked as he grabbed Astrid's arm as she tried to get on.

"Yeah. I've gone before. It's an amazing experience."

"Is it safe?"

Astrid looked at Dragon then at Gobber and shrugged. "Sort of. But I trust Dragon."

"But I'll never forgive myself if something happens to you."

Astrid sighed and then smiled evilly. "Why don't you come with us?"

"Have you been struck by lightning?"

"Uh, no."

"Then you're still not over your head injury. There is no way I'm riding a dragon."

As Gobber ranted, Astrid quickly climbed on Dragon's back and Dragon knew what she had in mind. He lunged at Gobber and before he could protest, threw him behind Astrid and took off to the sky.

"Astrid! Get me down!"

"Relax Gobber. Look around you."

Gobber did as she commanded and was immediately glad that he did. He saw the sparkling ocean like he never saw it before. The green-blue reflected in a way that he'd never seen, even after years of sailing. The colors of the sunset was like he had never seen a sunset before. The colors shined and glowed with a new life and vibrancy that made his heart swell with excitement. He was amazed and awed.

"Do dragons see this all the time?" Dragon nodded his head in response. "Do you ever tire of it?" Dragon rolled his eyes and violently shook his head.

"I guess that's a big fat no," Astrid smiled.

"Look at Berk. I've never seen it glow that orange before," Gobber said.

Astrid looked at Berk and thought the same thing. _It's an odd glow of orange. _Berk glowed with a waving color of orange. Hints of yellow and red danced through the orange as it grew in intensity. Above the village was a low cover of fog that reflected the colors of Berk. The color looked familiar but she couldn't pin point it.

She then smelled something that ran a shiver down her spine. She had smelled it before when houses were being burned down during the dragon raids or when she was trying to keep warm on freezing nights. _That low fog isn't fog it's-_ "Smoke! It's not the sunset! Berk's on fire!"


	20. Fire!

Dragon had already smelled it and was flying as fast as possible toward Berk. He was careful to stay out of sight of the village, even though he was pretty sure they were too focused on the fires, but it was better to play it safe and he still got there in record time. Astrid and Gobber jumped off of Dragon as soon as he landed roughly in the forest.

"I'm sorry Dragon. We'll be back as soon as possible," Astrid said as she ran toward the village. She thought that Dragon would go back to the cove but he didn't. He stayed nearby and watched with strained ears.

"What happened?" Astrid asked as she ran up to her group of friends as they finished putting out a house.

"That's just it," Snotlout said.

"We don't know!" Camicazi finished.

"We came out of the Mead Hall smelling smoke and all of our crop fields had been destroyed by fire and several houses were starting to burn," Ruff said.

"It was as if Thor himself doesn't want us to survive this winter," Fishlegs said.

"It's going to take several months to clean up the fields and try to repair the soil for replanting," said Heather.

"Not to mention the months of growing the plants," Tuff said.

"What is going on?" Astrid asked in frustration. "First no fish, then an early devastating blizzard, then fire, and now our crops are ruined?"

"Well, at least we had a little break," Fishlegs said trying to find the silver lining.

"Yeah, but what next?" Heather asked.

"I don't want to know," Ruff answered.

Astrid saw Gobber walking towards them and she ran up to him. "Gobber. Did Stoick say anything about where the fire started?"

"He said it was a weird pattern. All the fires seemed to have started in the middle of each field and just spread. There was no kindling or anything. It just started."

"But that's impossible," Fishlegs said.

"Fire doesn't start like that," Camicazi added.

"Now I really think that Thor is mad at us," Snotlout said.

"Yeah. A fire doesn't start like that without some sort of godly element," Ruff said.

"Yeah," Tuff agreed.

"Well, the fires are out now," Gobber said. "But Stoick said we'd all have to pitch in to help replant the crops as soon as possible. I hope that it isn't Thor doing this because we're going to need Thor's help to get this done if we want food."

"Well, then I guess we should all get to bed," Astrid said.

"Who are you staying with tonight?" Tuff asked Astrid after everyone else left.

"Stoick wants me to help out plan a plan of attack tonight. We're going to need one," Gobber said looking apologetic at Astrid.

"Guess you're stuck with us again," Ruff said as she dragged Astrid behind her.

"Where you headed Astrid?" an unwanted voice asked.

"It's none of your business Dagur," Astrid spat.

"She's sleeping over at our house," Ruff said.

"You seem to be doing that a lot lately," Dagur pointed out as he cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, my sis and her friend have been talking about girl stuff lately. It's really annoying. They won't stop talking about their man or who they are drooling over," Tuff said in a bored tone.

"Really?" Dagur said hopefully.

"It's not about you if that's what are you thinking," Ruff said.

Ruff started to drag Astrid again when Dagur grabbed Astrid's other arm.

"Did you forget what I told you?"

"No I didn't."

"If you told them anything-"

"I didn't tell them anything. We're talking about girl things. It's none of your business," Astrid snapped as she tugged her arm out of his grip.

"You'd better not have or you'll regret it."

Ruff pulled Astrid away from Dagur and Tuff followed but not after giving Dagur a confused look.

"What was that all about?" Tuff asked.

"Nothing," Ruff asked. "It's between us girls."

"Ok. Whatever."

Astrid followed Ruff up to her room and Ruff created the bed once again. Astrid was almost asleep when Ruff said, "The nerve of that guy!"

Astrid turned in her bed and looked at Ruff through the dark. "Ruff not here. Tuff will hear."

"Nope, he's completely gone."

"How do you know?"

"I've slept in the same room as his for eighteen years, I think I know when he's out."

"Ok. Sorry. Only child here."

"Dagur just makes me mad. If I didn't have to pretend that I didn't know to ensure that we're not hurt, I would have torn him apart."

"I know you would. That's one of the reasons I was afraid to tell you."

"UH! He makes me so mad! I want to kill him with my hands," Ruff exclaimed in a whisper.

"Can we please change the subject?"

"Ok." Ruff said. She thought for a minute. "So…how's it going with you and book Hiccup?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you fallen hard for him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Astrid lied, slightly blushing. She was glad that Ruff couldn't see in the dark.

"Oh my gods! You have!" She exclaimed.

_So much for not seeing in the dark._

"How can you have fallen for that clumsy boy? He was just a talking fishbone."

"Is size everything to you?"

"No."

"Then what do you see in Fishlegs?"

"He's smart, strong, and thoughtful."

"Then don't judge Hiccup before you know him," she said calmly but with a bit of an annoyed edge.

"Ok. Tell me about him."

Astrid told her of the guilt he carried, of the great relationship he had with Gobber, of the love he had for his mom, of the need for a friend, of him finding Dragon, of his genius with metal, and his admiration of her. She told her how he longed for his dad's approval and how Snotlout was more than just a one dimensional bully. She told Ruff all that she could about Hiccup, knowing there was so much more to learn about him.

"Wow. I didn't know he had that in him," Ruff said after Astrid finished.

"I really didn't either until I saw it in him the day before he died."

"I can see why you like him. Too bad you never got a chance to date him. You would have dated him right?" Astrid blushed a little. Ruff understood the silence and did her best to squeal quietly. "You would! I'm sure he's jumping with excitement in Valhalla right now!"

"Shut up. Don't you are mention this to anyone."

"I won't. I promise." Ruff then turned to Tuff's bed. "And don't you either or I'll push you into a pit of Fireworm Dragons!"

Astrid looked at Ruff like she'd gone crazy. "He's asleep."

"Nope. His breathing pattern changed in the middle of your explanation." Astrid's eyes went wide. "Night, Astrid."

"Night Ruff," Astrid said as she got comfortable in the bed once again. In her sleep, she dreamt of wind blowing which sounded like the beat of large wings.

"This is unbelievable!" Stoick exclaimed.

He and Gobber had come out early to start re-sowing the fields and found that they had been done already. Stoick and Gobber just gazed at the miracle before them. The field they were currently looking at were free of weeds, the soil churned, and grooves dug into the soil in straight even lines. Looking closer, they saw that the seeds were also planted.

"Ok," Gobber started. "I'm confused. First, the gods strike at us and then they help us?"

"Perhaps this is some sort of trick from Loki," Stoick suggested.

"Perhaps," Gobber said as they began to investigate the fields.

They all were weeded, mixed, the lanes dug, the seeds planted, and even the fields watered. It was neat and just ready to be kept by the farmers. Gobber was looking near where the forest line started and soon discovered something that made his smile. Near one of the fields was a dragon footprint. Gobber covered it up and walked over to Stoick.

"Well, whatever happened or whoever did this, has saved us. Now there's a chance that we can have crops before winter hits," Gobber said.

"That's true but I would still like to know," Stoick said.

"Maybe one day we will."

"Well, I guess the plan we worked out is null in void."

"I guess so. I'll start telling the people." Gobber headed back to the village and told every person he met to proceed like a normal day. He had to repeat his story several times and soon, word got around on its own and his job was done.

"Gobber!" Astrid called.

"Hello lass."

"Is it true about the fields? We're okay?"

"Yep. Everything is set to go."

"Ah, thank Thor!"

"It's not Thor we should be thanking. Well, maybe a little but that's not the point. I believe that Dragon and his friends helped us out again."

"How do you know?"

"I saw a dragon footprint near one of the fields. Don't worry, I covered it up," he added when he saw Astrid's worried face.

"Alright, I'll go and thank him and the others if they're there," Astrid said.

"Hey Gobber!" a Viking called. "I need my sword sharpened!"

"Alright! I'm coming!" Gobber yelled back. He looked at Astrid. "Tell them thanks from the entire village even though they don't know who saved them. Again."

"I will." Astrid went back to Ruff's house and luckily found that Ruff was still there. "Ruff. Come one let's go!"

"Go where?"

"To the cove. Well to the market first. We're getting some fish."

"Why?"

"We're going to thank Dragon and his friends for sowing the fields for us."


	21. Ruff's Bonding

Hey Everyone! Sorry it's been a long time but I've been really busy lately. My sister's graduating (YEAH!) and I'm helping prepare for her graduation party. It's also her birthday party. Everything is so close together for her and my mum is freaking out a bit. Yesterday was my first free day and I spent it writing and editing my story. Today, I think that I will post maybe a chapter or two. It's getting down to the nitty gritty.

I love the APOCALYPSE as you guys put it in the reviews. I didn't think of that but it was like an apocalypse wasn't it?

Well, here we go. ENJOY!

* * *

"They what?" she exclaimed.

"You didn't hear about that?"

"I hadn't left the house yet."

"Well, they saved us again."

Astrid and Ruff went and bought ten fish, two for each dragon. They traveled to the cove and found all of the dragons sleeping in the cove.

"Wait," Ruff said as Astrid began to descend.

"What?"

"The other dragons. I've never met them. They might not be as accepting of me as Dragon was. Especially the Monstrous Nightmare. They're the top on the dragon chain."

"No, the Night Fury is and he trusts you. Besides, Dragon will protect you. He did for me."

Ruff nodded and followed as Astrid began to place the fish in front of Dragon. Astrid quietly walked up to Dragon and whispered, "Hello Dragon. We've got a surprise for you."

Dragon slowly opened his eyes and groggily looked at Astrid. He was confused why she was there then noticed Ruff as well and became even more confused.

"Can you wake the others? The surprise is for them as well."

Dragon softly cooed at the other dragons and they slowly began to wake up. The other dragons were groggily at first but when they saw Ruffnut, they began to get uneasy.

Ruff began to back away. "See what I mean? They don't like me."

Dragon stood up and growled softly and soon the other dragons calmed down.

"I told you Dragon would protect you." The dragons looked at Astrid in curiosity. "Ruff and I are here to thank you for what you guys did last night. We are very grateful to you. You saved our village once again even though we are the only ones who know."

"Thank you from the village of Berk," Ruff said. She then slowly approached the Zippleback and tossed the fish to each of the heads. The Zippleback enjoyed it and the right head bent down and looked at Ruff on eye level.

"Ruff," Astrid whispered. "Put your hand out."

"Which hand?"

"Any."

Ruff put her hand out and the Zippleback closed the gap between them. Ruff gasped in surprise and excitement. She grinned and looked at Astrid then looked back at the Zippleback head. She felt a strange transference between them and she was completely at ease with the dragon.

She grinned even wider and then she involuntarily said, "Barf."

Astrid turned to her and asked in surprise, "Barf? Really?"

"Hey! It just came to me okay. Like you could do any better. You named the Night Fury Dragon!"

Astrid rolled her eyes and shrugged at the truth of it all. "Well, I also named the Nadder Stormfly!"

"You did?"

"Yeah. The name just came to me when Stormfly and I connected but not when Dragon and I connected."

"That's weird."

"Tell me about it."

"Come to think of it, this whole situation is weird."

"Agreed."

The dragons enjoyed the fish except Dragon. Dragon refused to eat the fish and gave his to the others. Astrid was confused by this act. She walked up to Dragon.

"Are you ok? You're not eating the fish. It's your favorite." Dragon nodded his head and made Astrid even more confused. "But you like Icelandic Cod." Dragon nodded again. "Then why aren't you eating them?"

Dragon sighed and twisted his tail around and placed in front of Astrid. He then looked at the others, then the sky. He looked back at Astrid then used his claws to draw a miniature field. Astrid looked at Dragon and the field but finally understood what Dragon was trying to say.

"You think you don't deserve them because you didn't help create the fields. Because you couldn't fly." Dragon nodded. Astrid gave Dragon a sad smile and hugged Dragon's neck. "You did do something. You saw that we needed help and you helped us. You may not have done the physical work but you did do something. You are just as important as the others."

Dragon did his best to tighten his hug and smiled a gummy smile. Astrid pulled back and said, "How about a flight? We didn't get to finish ours yesterday."

"Wait. You fly him?" Ruff asked in shock.

"Yeah. You should try it," Astrid said as she hopped onto Dragon's back.

"Uh. Maybe when I'm more comfortable with the whole dragon thing."

Dragon rolled his eyes and gurgled something to the Zippleback and it nodded his head in understanding. Dragon and Astrid took off leaving Ruff alone with the other dragons.

"Hey! You can't le- ahhhhh!"

The Zippleback interrupted her when it grabbed her shirt and flung her onto its right head. The Zippleback followed Dragon and all of the other dragons began to follow as well.

"Oh Thor! This is-this is-" Ruff said as she looked around. "Awesome! You can see so much from here. It's unbelievable!" Together the dragons and the two Vikings flew all that afternoon. They went around the island of Berk and to the neighboring islands as well. All the while, Ruffnut and Barf bonded even more and soon, Ruff didn't want to leave her dragon head.

"We need to get back," Astrid said. Dragon landed in the cove and nudged her in thanks after she got off.

"Do we have to?" Ruff asked. "This was such an amazing day. I don't want it to end."

"I know what you mean."

Astrid and Ruff walked back, after they said goodbye, and talked about their little experience. Ruff was completely ecstatic and so wanted to tell Tuff but knew it wasn't time to tell anyone quite yet.

"Did you have the same feeling?" Ruff asked.

"Like I was invincible? Yes."

"That was amazing! And the water was just gorgeous!"

"I know. It was breathtaking."

"Oh, and the colors of the sky! Perfect!"

"Maybe one day we can go flying when it's dark. Seeing the stars and Arvin Dale's Fire was just…I can't even describe it."

"You flew at night? Lucky. When was this?"

"When you and Gobber caught me."

"Oh. Sorry. Didn't mean to ruin your perfect moment," Ruff said genuinely sorry.

"You're fine. We had just landed anyway. But it was still amazing."

When they approached the village, they changed the subject of their discussion to one of weapons.

"How was your day?" Gobber asked as they came to the forge.

"It was fantastic!" Ruff exclaimed.

"I'm taking it she flew today," Gobber said knowingly.

"You got it," Astrid nodded.

"Well keep it down, though," Gobber whispered. "Dagur's been putting his nose into my business. Soon, he'll get in yours."

"Thanks Gobber. If you're available, I'll be sleeping in my house tonight."

"I can't unfortunately. Stoick has called me again for another meeting. Apparently, he and the council are worried about why Thor and Odin keep doing this to us. He wants me to be there."

"I've heard. What do you think Thor could be upset about?" They all turned to see the owner of the voice.

"We don't know Dagur. That's why the council is going into a meeting," Astrid spat.

"That may be true but Gobber must have some ideas."

"I actually don't," Gobber said furling his eyebrows. "And if I did, it's none of your business."

"Gobber!" Stoick called from up the hill. "The meeting is coming to order."

"Bye lass. See you tomorrow," Gobber said as he ran toward Stoick.

"Well, I guess you'll be staying at Ruff's house again."

"It's Ruffnut to you Dagur," Ruff spat.

"As a matter of fact. No," Astrid said as she put her hands on her hip. Ruff, who was behind Dagur at this point, gave Astrid a grave look.

"Then where are you staying?" Dagur asked.

_Oh my gods! Does he really think I'm going to tell him so that he could get another chance? _"It's none of your concern where I'm staying. Now get out of my sight before I bring out my axe."

"All right, all right," Dagur said as he backed away. "See you around."

"In your dreams creep," Ruff whispered. "Where are you going to sleep?"

"I think I'm going to go to the cove. I'll make it look like I went to my house then sneak out of Berk."

"All right. Be careful."

"Mildew," Dagur said as he knocked on the door.

"Come in Dagur," Mildew said annoyed.

"Ok something weird is going on," Dagur said as he opened the door.

"You're telling me. First my crops are destroyed then my field is repaired."

"No, no, no. Not about that. About Astrid."

Mildew rolled his eyes. "What now?"

"She's been staying over at Ruffnut's house a lot or Gobber's been staying over at her house."

"So?"

"So…she's never done something like that before. She's never been one to have others protect her."

"Do you think that she told them?"

"Yes I do but I also don't."

"What do you mean?"

"Tuffnut said something about them talking about girl things when Astrid stays over. Tuffnut may be an idiot but he doesn't lie about things."

"Okay, so she didn't tell Ruffnut. What about Gobber?"

"That's just it. Gobber's been acting weird. He'd say that she's somewhere and when I go to look, she's nowhere to be found."

"Maybe you just missed her."

"Five times? And that was just today."

"Okay, that's just strange. Maybe he knows something."

"He definitely is because my group of friends have said that they've seen her go into the woods."

"She goes in there every day to practice. What's the big deal?"

"And she's gone most of the day? She's always come back for meals but she hasn't and Gobber doesn't seem to be panicking. He knows where she goes and is lying to me about it."

"Well, find out where she goes and why and try to somehow use that against her. Get Gobber involved somehow," Mildew said in frustration. _Why can't this kid think on his own?_

"Very well. I will. Just watch."

"Just come to me first. You're not smart when it comes to being sneaky."


	22. Nightmare!

Here's another chapter like I promised. I think I accidently added a little Shakespeare. ENJOY!

* * *

Astrid traveled through the forest under darkness. The moon wasn't as bright as tonight so the going was a little rough. She almost fell a couple of times because of a root she didn't see or a dip in the ground. She finally got to the cove and smiled as Dragon turned to see her.

"Hi Dragon. I hope you don't mind me staying here tonight. Dagur's suspicious of me staying at Ruff's all the time and Gobber can't stay with me. Stoick called him to a meeting of some sort. You don't mind if I stay here tonight?"

Dragon shook his head and watched as Astrid rolled out a blanket and sat down. She then produced a candle and lit the candle, which produced a sad amount of light. The next second, she then produced the journal that had been attached to her hand for weeks.

Dragon walked over as Astrid strained to see the written words. She looked up the candle went out and saw that Dragon had blown out the candle.

"Hey! I was trying to read. Trying being the key word."

Dragon rolled his eyes and built up gas in his mouth. He then blasted the rock nearby and the area around Astrid lit up like she was surrounded by a hundred candles.

"Thanks. This light is so much better, not to mention the nice heat." Dragon nodded as Astrid got comfortable once again.

Dragon walked around and lay down behind her and wrapped his tail around her giving her extra warmth and a friendly embrace.

"Thanks Dragon. I feel safe." Astrid leaned against Dragon's hide and opened up the journal to read.

**Why do I even bother sometimes? Everything I do to try and help the village just turns out to be a disaster. Early this morning, we had a dragon raid and I was helping Gobber in the forge again. It was crazy, like always, but there was an upside. I got to see Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut today. They didn't see me, like always, but I envy them. Their job is so much cooler. They have an important job, putting out the fires while I'm stuck inside away from the danger. Yeah right! Like the forge is any less dangerous. In fact, I think it would have been the first place the dragons attack, I mean it is the place where we repair the weapons that hurt them.**

_Very true. The forge is just as dangerous as being outside in the raids._

**I decided to try out my new invention. It's a device that can shoot a bola on its own. I built it the other day and haven't had a chance to try it and today I had that chance. What a failure! It totally missed the dragons but I didn't miss my dad. Oh, man did I hear his rage later today. He was not happy. I realized my mistakes in the bola machine and I improved on them but I would have to wait another day to try it. I've been in my room all day. My dad won't let me leave. He even has Uncle Spitelout watching the house. I can't sneak out to my quiet place in the forest. **

_Is he in prison or something? That's just not nice._

**But it wasn't all bad. From my window I could see Astrid practicing with her axe. It made my imprisonment less horrible. I even built up the courage to draw her. If it turns out horrible, at least she won't see it. **

Astrid looked on the next page and she gasped in awe. She had never seen herself through someone else's eyes and through his eyes, she was beautiful. She saw the careful lines of her body and the loving care put into the development of her face.

He had her shape down to a tee. The curves of her body were in perfect portions and drawn delicately making Astrid's cheeks go hot with the thought of someone seeing her body like that. But no matter how well he drew her body, it was evident where Hiccup saw her beauty. Every strand of hair that fell over her face was in the perfect spot around her eyes and forehead. Her eyes, nose, and mouth were drawn to show her determination and inner strength but the eyes had the most detail. With just his charcoal pencil, he colored her eyes in different shades to show the depth in them.

She ran her hand over the first drawing Hiccup did of a human. It was delicate and full of emotion.

"This is beautiful," Astrid whispered. Dragon looked up and looked at the picture. "The time and detail he put into this drawing. Amazing. I've never seen myself through someone else's eyes. I'm honored to be seen in this light. He's so talented. Horrible? Please. He's too humble about his talent."

Dragon snorted softly in his attempt to scoff at her remark. He then laid his head down as Astrid read the next entry.

**The past few days have been a bit awkward. I got sick with a high fever and Gothi said I wouldn't make it if I didn't break it the fever. My dad sat by my bed the entire time. He helped me hold some food down by feeding me broth, held my hand when I started to cry in pain, and helped change my clothes when, you know, I could hold my food down. It was a bad time but one of my thoughts was disproven. I thought that my dad didn't notice or care for me cause all he ever seemed to do was yell at me and look at me with disappointment. These past few days have been nice knowing that he was there to look after me. To be there for me. However, I believe now that I'm better, it'll go back to be the way they were. But I don't care, at least I know that he still cares and is always going to be there when I'm sick.**

_So touching. If only Hiccup saw how heartbroken he was when he died._ Luckily for her, the next entry was high in spirits.

**Gobber said that there wasn't any work to do in the forge today, so he let me have the day off. And it was the best day of my life. **

_Oh? How so?_

**So far. I went down to Thor's beach and climbed my favorite boulder and sat in the little cave I found. It's peaceful and no one else knows about it. I can see the beach and the ocean at the same time. It's an amazing place to be at sunset. As I sat there drawing the ocean and just enjoying one of the beauties of Berk, I heard a strange noise. I peeked out and I saw Astrid standing on the beach, skipping rocks. Every time she picked up one, she looked around as if looking for someone. When she was satisfied, she skipped the rock and smiled slightly. I believe my heart fluttered a little. I've never seen her smile. I immediately began to draw her. I don't think that I will ever get that image out of my head. She was absolutely stunning in the sunlight and the reflection of the ocean. Too bad I can't catch the beautiful coloring. Does she even know how amazing she looks? She is absolutely amazing. I'm so honored and blessed to see this sight. I can die happy now.**

Astrid turned the page and saw that he had drawn the shore line and the cliffs of Berk. Even with just his charcoal, she could see the majesty if the ocean. He captured the waves and the splashing on the rocks and boulders. It was completely captivating. She didn't want to leave the page.

"He is absolutely amazing! No color and I can see the beauty of the ocean. He has such a gift."

She then turned the page and her eyes went wide. In front of her was a drawing of the beach with the shore line near the bottom and a wave splashing on a rock. But what really grabbed her attention was the figure dominating the page. It was thirteen year old Astrid skipping rocks on the beach. Her face captured her eyes, for on her face was a smile. It wasn't anything big but the little curve to her mouth said so much that she didn't know what to make of it.

"Oh Hiccup. You have such a beautiful eye. I don't look like that. You're making me too pretty. I'm not like that at all. The smile you put on me, that isn't me. I don't look good in a smile. I may have been in the past but not anymore."

Dragon lifted his head and nudged her back. She looked at him and watched as he narrowed his eyes and violently shook his head. She cocked an eyebrow.

"You disagree with me?" Dragon nodded his head. "You think a smile fits me?" Dragon nodded again and flashed her one of his gummy smiles. "I still don't think so." Dragon huffed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, go back to sleep," she said as she gently punched Dragon's left foreleg.

She went back to the drawing and continued to stare at it. She was completely engrossed in Hiccup's drawing of her. She's had Snotlout make passes at her, had older boys hit on her, had boys flex their muscles and show off how much they can lift, and even had Dagur try to rape her but never had she seen anyone like Hiccup.

Hiccup cherished her from afar. He just tried to build up the courage to talk to her, not really hit on her. He secretly helped her progression in her axe training and even made her axe with tender loving care without credit. He secretly drew her with such detail and devotion. The more she read his journal, the more she regretted not being his friend. She couldn't help the guilt that rose in her stomach. She felt responsible for his sadness.

_If only… _she thought. She shook her thoughts away and continued to read the next entry.

**I'm sorry if my writing is a bit lopsided. I can't see well through one eye. It's swollen almost shut.**

"What?!" Astrid cried out and startled Dragon.

**I was walking to the Mead Hall for dinner when I heard several of the older boys talking. They were insulting the other kids. They said that Snotlout was so stupid that he couldn't put on his own boots. He may not be exactly smart but he's not a complete idiot. Besides, he's still my cousin. They said that the twins would kill each other over something stupid like a bowl before they were fifteen. That may be true but they love each other, even though they don't say it. I can see it. They look out for each other, just in a weird way. Then they said Fishlegs would die by a dragon because he would be too busy stating facts about them. Said he was mentally challenged because he read constantly. Then there was Astrid. They said that because she was the most promising that every boy would want her and she would say yes. I may be only a young boy of 12, but I know what that means. I'm not stupid. Astrid is too smart and strong to do something like that. She respects herself too much. I told them this about all of them.**

_He defended us?_

**So it didn't go so well. They were all three times my size so trying to defend myself was a waste of time. I've never felt so sore or painful but I would do it again and again. They might ignore me but I will always defend them. They are my friends, my people. I will always protect them no matter what pain I might go through. It's just a good thing dad's off on another expedition or else I'd have him on my back.**

_We didn't deserve his defense. We were rude and cruel to him. Yet, he saw as friends. As his people. Gods! He would have made a great chief._

Astrid yawned and stretched. She closed the journal and snuggled into Dragon's hide once again. Astrid dreamt of the ocean and flying.

_Astrid was hovering over the blue-green ocean and watched as she quickly moved over it. She was flying but wasn't alone. She looked again and saw that she was riding on Dragon and he was taking her across the ocean. _

_She grinned when the mist from the ocean hit her face and Dragon chuckled in delight. The sun was starting to set and soon she found herself by the shoreline of Thor's Beach. She and Dragon navigated through the canyons and the boulders with twists, turns, and flips. Astrid was enjoying herself greatly._

_As she looked up, she saw someone hiding on the beach. His head kept peeking out from behind a boulder and kept looking at her. She decided to get closer and saw that he wore a green tunic with a brown vest. _

_"__Hiccup?" Astrid questioned. She and Dragon landed near the boulder. She jumped off and raced toward it. When she looked behind it, no one was there. "That's odd. I thought I saw him here."_

_"__You think that she'll see you?" a familiar voice from far away asked. She looked but didn't see anyone. "Well give it up cause she's mine."_

_Astrid began to walk toward the voice but still couldn't see anyone._

_"__She isn't a prize to be won. She's a wonderful girl," another voice defended. Astrid rounded the cliff and saw a small boy being towered over by a larger teenage boy._

_"__Ha! She's the most promising Viking in Berk. She will be sought after by every perfect Viking specimen. They will want her and they will have her. All Viking warrior maidens end up that way."_

_Astrid finally saw who the taller boy was. It was Dagur. He was smiling devilishly at the smaller boy._

_"__She won't do that. She's smart, strong, brave, and full of pride and respect. She'd never let any one of you boys touch her like that." Astrid was also able to see who the small boy was. It was Hiccup, the person she saw behind the boulder just seconds ago._

_"__How did he get there so fast without me seeing him?" she asked herself._

_"__Just watch!" Dagur then looked down and saw Hiccup's journal in his hand. He grabbed it and opened it. "Do you really think that drawing her will make her like you?" he asked as he shoved the first drawing of Astrid in Hiccup's face._

_"__No, that was just for me. She was a joy to draw."_

_"__So you're stalking her? Drawing her to put in you sick little fantasies?"_

_"__Like you should be talking."_

_"__What?" Dagur snapped at him. He raised his hand and brought it down on Hiccup's face. Hiccup himself fell down from the force of the blow. Even from that distance, Astrid could see the redness on his face._

_Astrid's fists clenched as she saw Hiccup raise his hand to his face and rub it as he got back up to face Dagur. Dagur in the meantime had flipped through and found another picture._

_"__Oh. Now you think that drawing her with a smile might impress her? Saying that you care about her smile and personality and not her body."_

_"__She's a pretty girl on the outside but an even prettier one on the inside. Her smile proves it. Yours on the other hand shows an ugly core of rot and yak dung."_

_Astrid covered her mouth with her hand as she quietly giggled. "He's even funny when facing danger."_

_Dagur on the other hand, wasn't so impressed by Hiccup's humor. His face turned a bright red and hatred burned in his eyes. He began to destroy Hiccup's journal by ripping each individual page into pieces and throwing them into the wind._

_Astrid began to run toward them to stop this crime but was suddenly blocked by wooden bars. In the distance she could hear Hiccup yelling for Dagur to stop and could see him grabbing onto his arm to stop him but only succeeded in him being pulled up and down._

_Astrid took out her axe and began to hack at the thick bars in front of her. She was making progress when another sound was added to the banging of her axe. She looked up and saw Dagur kicking and punching Hiccup, who was curled up in fetal position on the ground, left and right._

_"__No!" she screamed. Dagur stopped and looked up. He smiled and continued with new vigor. Astrid herself began hacking with new vigor as well. Before she knew it, the bars were gone and she was sprinting toward Hiccup. She raised her axe and swung at Dagur as she approached._

_She thought for sure that she hit him but he wasn't there anymore. Only a very injured Hiccup and a panting Astrid. She dropped her axe and bent down next to Hiccup._

_"__Are you alright?"_

_He nodded quietly. She turned him over onto his back and saw the damage done. His right eye was swollen shut, several bleeding cuts on his arms and face, bruises forming on his face, and blood trickling from his nose. _

_Astrid created a rag from her shirt and began to wipe the wounds. "We need to get you back to Berk. You need to see Gothi." He nodded again in silence. He hadn't opened his eyes since she arrived. "You didn't have to do that you know. I don't deserve it."_

_"__Yes you do. Everyone needs someone to defend them. They just don't know it's happening," he said as he opened his eyes as far as possible. She smiled at him and he returned the smile with a lopsided grin._

_In front of her, she heard Dragon coo and she looked up. He was dancing in the tide in joy, oblivious to what had happened. Astrid looked down and gasped. Hiccup was gone but the rag in her hand had his blood on it. She dropped the rag but the blood didn't leave her hands. _

_She ran to the ocean and tried to wipe them off but the blood refused to leave. She frantically scrubbed her hands but the blood stubbornly stayed. "Go away!" she screamed._

_"__But it won't go away," a voice behind her said. She turned and saw two figures standing not too far away._

_"__Mom? Dad? Why won't it go away?"_

_"__You're not the only one having this problem," her mom said. She motioned to her right and Astrid followed. She was suddenly in Berk and watched as all of the villagers were trying to get rid of the blood off their hands._

_The ones that were panicking the most were Stoick, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, Spitelout, and Gobber._

_"__Why can't we get the blood off of our hands?" Astrid asked her parents._

_"__Because you are all responsible for Hiccup's pain," her father said._

_"__You all are also responsible for the death of Berk's salvation. Berk hasn't changed and in two days, the five years will be up," her mother continued._

_"__What is this salvation? Who is this salvation?"_

_"__It's closer than you think," they said at the same time._

_Suddenly, all of Berk was in chaos. Houses were on fire, Vikings were running, some screaming and running for cover while others were fighting. Bodies were lying on the ground and another army of Vikings began to advance while Stoick and Spitelout tried to push them back but to no avail. _

_Suddenly a voice from nowhere boomed, "You haven't changed. You're lesson hasn't been learned."_

_"__What do you mean? Gobber, Ruffnut and myself have stopped judging by appearance. We've befriended dragons!"_

_"__The entire village must learn. You've had five years. You have failed. All of you. I guess Vikings are too stubborn to learn."_

_In front of Astrid, Berk was engulfed in a sudden growth of flames and watched as the army came marching through the flames cutting down all things in their path._

_"__Nnnnoooooo!" Astrid screamed_


	23. More Than One Problem

Hey Everyone! Here's another chapter! The climax is coming! It's coming fast! Soon it'll be here! Anyway. I might be able to post one or two more chapters before I have a long drive ahead of me. I might be able to post something on Saturday but it will be a few days before I post. I might be able to post one more time tomorrow but I'm not sure. I have my sister's graduation party I have to help host and also her birthday party. It'll be fun but I probably won't have time to post anything. Sorry. :( But hopefully, you will enjoy this chapter.

ENJOY!

* * *

Gobber was walking back to his house from the meeting with Stoick and the council. They had all come up with crazy reasons why the gods were mad at them and then forgave them to save them. They said that Thor and Loki were fighting or that Loki was playing a trick and that Odin fixed what he destroyed. None of the theories ventured outside of Asgard.

Gobber just sat there in boredom because he knew who had saved them. When asked to give a suggestion, he just shrugged and said he had no clue.

He walked through town completely exhausted but still with joy in his heart for what the dragons had done. He shook his head as he laughed softly.

"This has been one strange month. First, I see that dragons are not completely dangerous creatures and befriend one, then they save us from starving by bringing us fish then they save us again by sowing our fields for us. What else could possibly happen?"

He chuckled as he continued, unaware that someone had overheard his little speech.

The figure grinned and ran up to the other side of the mountain. He ran through the cabbage field and barged through the front door of the house that stood there.

"Mildew! I think I have found the opportunity that we need!" Dagur yelled as he entered the house without knocking.

Mildew yelped and fell out of his bed onto his sheep, Fungus, from being startled out of his sleep. "Why in Thor's name would you scare an old man out of his sleep?"

"Because I think I found my way to trap Astrid."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Gobber has befriended a dragon!"

"What?!" Mildew asked while double taking. "Gobber would never do such a thing. He is one of the best."

"Apparently, not anymore. I just heard him say that he befriended a dragon."

"You must be mistaken. He could have meant another thing."

"Even so, it's enough to trap Astrid don't you think?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, something like he could go to jail if she doesn't marry me."

Mildew thought about it for a second then he smiled. "Here's what you do. Wait until the village is on edge then present the news to the village. He'll be put in jail for being a traitor. Astrid will, of course, defend her only family by doing anything. If she doesn't agree to marry you, then Gobber will proceed through the trials as if he was guilty. Even if that means death."

"And if she agrees?"

"If she agrees, wait a few minutes, like you're thinking about it, then come back and say that he might have meant something else. That you didn't get the entire conversation and that Gobber is innocent. If you want, you can say that you went searching for evidence and didn't find anything to condemn him. Then say that you're sorry for putting the village on edge-"

"I never say I'm sorry!" Dagur interrupted.

"But you were only protecting the village," Mildew finished.

Dagur thought about it for a second but thought of something. "What about Stoick?"

"What about him?"

"Gobber's his best friend. He won't put him in jail if he's present. He's got a steady head. He won't be easy to convince. He'll be between the village and Gobber."

Mildew thought for a second. "I'll think of a way to get Stoick on the other side of the island."

"What will you do?"

"I don't know yet!" Mildew snapped. "Now leave so I can get some sleep so I can think of a good diversion!"

Mildew pushed Dagur out of the door and slammed it shut.

"Geez. Someone woke on the wrong side of the bed."

Mildew heard him and yelled through the door, "Nope! Woke on the wrong side of the sheep! Thanks to you!"

* * *

Astrid woke with a start and a yelp. She was shaking and trembling and drenched in a cold sweat. Her heart was beating extremely fast and her breathing was erratic. She was clutching a branch with all her might in shock.

Dragon, behind her, cooed painfully and Astrid turned to look at him. He then looked down at her hands and she followed his gaze. She quickly let go of the branch because it wasn't a branch she wasn't holding onto, it was Dragon's tail she was squeezing to death.

"Sorry. A bad dream," Astrid said as Dragon unwrapped his tail from around Astrid. He then nudged her to get her attention. She looked at him and saw that his eyes were pleading with her to tell her.

"It started out great. We were flying over the ocean then I saw Hiccup but then he disappeared. When I found him again, Dagur was beating him up. When I went to stop him Dagur disappeared and then I couldn't get the blood off my hands. Then I was in Berk and it was on fire and an army was attacking. Then there was a voice…" Astrid stopped. She thought about what the voice had said. "Five years? Has it really been five years?" She looked at Dragon and he only shrugged. "Have we really not changed? Are we too late to save our salvation?"

Dragon cooed and nuzzled into her hair. She smiled and got up. She stretched as she said, "I'll get us breakfast today. I'll be back in a few minutes." Dragon nodded and didn't even try to argue.

She walked over to the pond and waited for the right moment to grab the fish that swam in the pond. All the while she thought about Hiccup.

_It's funny. Now that I look back, all those times that I was near him or with him, I felt comfortable and relaxed. I didn't even feel that with my parents. I felt free to be myself, even though I didn't practice it. His green eyes were always what caught me off guard and distracted me. It almost got us killed in dragon training. They were wide, full of curiosity, and just plain gorgeous. Why didn't I see it before? Uh! Why was I so blind?_

Astrid had caught three fish by this point and figured she needed at least two more for Dragon.

_It's strange that Dragon's eyes have the same effect on me. It's like he's mocking me without knowing it. _Astrid straightened as something connected.

_Wait. Dragon has the same type of eyes as Hiccup. Five years ago when I saw him during that raid, his eyes were full of fear and sadness. Same as Hiccup's eyes during the execution. When Dragon saved me, I was quickly comfortable with him. He knew where Berk was. He knew what I needed to clean my injuries. He knew how important my axe is to me. When he found out I was reading Hiccup's journal, he got nervous. He didn't attack Gobber and Ruffnut. He was just as surprised as I was. He greeted Gobber like he hadn't seen him in years. He comforted me when I needed it. Ok, so I never went to Hiccup for that but when I was around him, I just felt safe. Could it be? Could Dragon….could Hiccup? No! That's insane! I'm thinking too hard. Stop it Astrid! You're torturing yourself. Hiccup's dead. He's never coming back._

Astrid had collected the fish needed to feed herself and Dragon and walked back to Dragon. As she approached, Dragon got up to greet her but suddenly his face contorted to one of pain and drowsiness. He tried to take a step forward but fell down.

"Dragon!" Astrid exclaimed. She dropped the fish and ran up to him. Dragon tried to get up again but fell down once again, weakened. "What's wrong? You were fine a few minutes ago." Dragon grumbled weakly and looked at her with great difficulty.

Astrid thought and looked around for a way to help him. She didn't bring anything for a sudden sickness. _How do you cure a sick dragon anyway?_ Astrid then got an idea. "Don't go anywhere. I'm going to get Gobber to help." Dragon gave her a look and a huff that said 'Really? I can hardly stand'. "Don't give me that look. I'll be back soon." She took her blanket and threw it over Dragon, even though it did little to cover him.

Astrid sprinted back to Berk with worry and fear I her heart. _I've never seen anything like this. No one just suddenly gets sick like that. What happened?_

She ran into the village square passing people and ignoring greetings of 'hello' and 'good morning'. She ran to the forge and luckily for her Gobber was there.

"Gobber!" she exclaimed out of breath. "Come quick."

"What's wrong Astrid?"

"It's Dragon. He suddenly fell ill."

"One does not suddenly fall ill."

"Well, he did. He took one step toward me then just collapsed. Something's wrong."

"What caused it?"

"I don't know. You hang out with Gothi a lot. Maybe you can help him better than I can."

"Alright. Let's go." Gobber dropped the weapon he was working on, covered the pit, and followed Astrid back to the cove. As he entered the cove, he saw why Astrid was so worried. Dragon just lay there, unmoving. When he got closer, he saw that his ear flaps barely moved at the movement Astrid and he was making.

He slowly and carefully placed himself in front of Dragon and placed his hand on his head but quickly withdrew it. "Wow! You're burning up. It's as if you fire is trying to escape though your skin."

"Are you feeling queasy?" Astrid asked.

"He's a dragon Astrid. He won't understand our questions."

"No, he does. Are you feeling queasy?" Astrid asked again. Dragon weakly shook his head. "See?"

"Wow. Um. Ok. Do you feel sore?" Dragon shook his head again. "Do you have a headache?" Dragon shook again weakly. "Do you feel like eating?" Dragon made a face like it was the worst idea ever in the world. "Guess that's a no. Well, I've never heard of anything like this with humans. Usually you have a fever, a headache, feeling queasy, and no desire to eat when you're sick. But he doesn't have a headache or feeling queasy."

"Then how do we help him?"

"I don't know. I think we should start by trying to keep him cool. His scales are scalding. Grab your blanket and put in the pond."

Astrid grabbed her blanket and threw it the pond with lightning speed. Getting it back to Dragon on the other hand was tougher now that it weighed about ten times its normal weight. All the while, Gobber tried to get Dragon to stand up.

"Come on. Try to stand up." Dragon tried and rose off the ground slightly only to violently fall back down. He turned and saw that Astrid was struggling to bring the blanket back over. "Come on. Let's try to help Astrid. Walk a few steps toward her. Come on."

Dragon forced his eyes open and saw Astrid struggling. With great effort, he raised himself and walked over to her, though very slowly. Every step was hard and strenuous but Dragon did it and fell with a loud thump in front of her. Gobber, who had quietly encouraged him to continue, grabbed one end of the blanket and helped fling it over Dragon's back.

"I have no idea what could be wrong with him. I don't think that he's sick."

"But he has a fever. You said so yourself."

"Yes, but I fever doesn't cripple someone like this. A fever is just your body fighting something but this," he gestured to all of Dragon. "This is something we've never faced before. I'd have to go back to Berk and look through all of our dragon manuals. There must be some sort of report of this happening to the dragons we kept in the arena. We did keep them for 300 years. There must be something."

"Alright. I'll stay here with him."

"Not yet. You should go back and get more blankets. That one isn't going to keep all of his scales cool."

"Alright." Astrid walked over and placed a hand on his head and whispered to Dragon, "I'll be back. I promise."

Astrid and Gobber went back to Berk with as much speed as they could muster. Once they entered the village, they parted ways. Gobber went to the Great Hall to do some research and Astrid went to her house and gathered all of the blankets she could find.

As she started back to the cove, she ran into Ruffnut.

"Astrid. How was the night in the cove?" She then saw the pile of blankets and cocked an eyebrow. "What's with all the blankets? Don't tell me the Dragon got cold last night."

"No, it's to cool him down." Ruff cocked an eyebrow again. "He suddenly got sick. At least I hope he's just sick."

"Sick? Well, I'll come to help."

"No, we need someone to be on the lookout here. Gobber is trying to find out if there's anything like this in the dragon manuals. We need someone to cover for us."

"Alright. Take care of him. He's a nice dragon. Oh! And say hi to Barf for me."

"Will do." Astrid ran back to the cove and immediately began to cover Dragon with wet blankets. When she finished she looked at Dragon. The once powerful and mighty beast was now as weak and defenseless as a sheep without his shepherd. She walked over to his face and lifted his head slightly. This movement was enough for Dragon to open his eyes a little.

Astrid gasped. Dragon's eyes had changed. His silted pupils had become more oval, the brightness of his eyes had begun to fade and the irises had gotten smaller. She didn't really understand what it meant but the feeling she got when she touched Dragon was enough to explain it.

"You're not sick! You're dying!"

* * *

"Come on. Come on," Gobber mumbled as he flipped through the dragon manuals and Bork's notes. He had been searching for hours and couldn't find anything. "Are you telling me that after 300 years of keeping dragons that none of them ever got sick?" He asked in frustration.

On the other side of the door a young man, who had heard a hastening Gobber in the Great Hall, was now smiling and left to put his plan into motion.

Gobber continued to look but still found no information that could help him. _Well, we really didn't care back then if they got sick or not but this is still ridiculous! _

"Gobber!" Stoick called as he entered the Great Hall.

"What is it Stoick?" Gobber asked his friend. He then saw his flustered face. "What's wrong?"

"Mildew said that he saw a strange ship on the side of the island while he was walking this morning. I think it might be the Outcasts. They haven't attacked in a long time and try to take us off guard. I want you to check this side of the island for Outcast ships. It might just be a diversion."

"What about the other sides?"

"I'll be checking them. It could just be a fishing boat but I just want to be sure. I probably won't be back until tomorrow afternoon. It depends on how things go."

"Alright. See you then." Stoick turned and left while Gobber hurriedly cleaned up the mess he made.

He then headed down to the beach and walked to shoreline carefully, looking for Outcast ships. He saw nothing but waves, rocks, birds, and seaweed. He sighed and thought about Astrid and Dragon. _Dragon means a lot to her. I've known him for half the time and I'm concerned about him. I just can't explain it but something about him gives me hope and raises my spirits. It's as if I've known him for years but that's impossible._

As he was about to finish his patrol, the sun was setting deep in the evening sky. He was about to turn and leave when something to his left caught his eye. He thought maybe he imagined it and tried to look again and was blinded temporarily by a small shining light. He shifted his position and he took out the eye glass that Hiccup made years ago and held it up to his eye. As his vision focused, he gasped.

He ran back to the center of Berk and blew the warning horn. It took a few seconds for the villagers to exit their houses with their weapons as the setting sun reflected off of them.

"What is it Gobber?" Spitelout asked, echoing the curiosity of the other villagers.

"Are dragons attacking again?" one voice asked.

"No," Gobber said. "The Outcasts are attacking!"


	24. An Outcast Attack

Hey everyone. I just want to say thanks for all of the reviews. I know a lot of you have been asking questions about Dragon and Hiccup and I haven't answered because I don't want to give too much away. Some, though, have made me think for a second and had me change my scenes a bit.

Anyway. Here's the next chapter. I think I'll upload one more today.

ENJOY!

* * *

Astrid spent all day at the cove. She didn't eat a thing for she was too concerned with Dragon. He hadn't gotten better. In fact, he had gotten worse. His breathing became shallow and Astrid had to constantly convince him to open his eyes so that she was sure he was still alive.

The temperature of his scales had risen and the blankets dried quickly. By the third time she wetted the blankets again, she wished she had brought something to just throw water onto the blankets while they were still on Dragon. Luckily, she remembered the large bowl Dragon had taken from the village weeks ago..

She had searched around where his little alcove was and found it. As she was about to leave, she noticed something in the dirt. It was a small picture of Berk with figures that looked like Stoick, Hiccup, Gobber, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and herself. She looked at if briefly and took the large bowl to the pond to fill it up, not giving it a second thought.

She must have doused Dragon at least fifty times that day and she was completely exhausted. She sank down next to his head and leaned against him after the most recent dowsing, not caring if her own clothes were getting soaked. She lifted the blanket off of his head to look at him and gasped again.

His scales began to fade in color. They no longer looked black but were now a very dark brown. She nudged him again and he slightly opened his eyes. His pupils were no longer slits but were now completely circular, they had gotten smaller and the light faded even more from his eyes.

"You can't die. You're strong and so gentle at the same time. You make me feel safe. You can help us Vikings get over our prejudice against your kind. Please, stay with me," Astrid whispered.

The sun had gone down over the tops of the rocked walls of the cove and left it darkened by the shadows. Astrid was ready and content to sleep by his side but a sound that floated through the wind hit her ears making her bolt up in alarm. Dragon heard it too and tried to lift his head.

"The warning horn? We're being attacked!" Astrid got up and Dragon gurgled weakly at her. "I'm sorry, but my home is being attacked. They're going to need my help. I'll be back as soon as I can. Please still be here when I get back."

Astrid patted his head again and ran off to help defend Berk. She ran with all her might and reached Berk to find the village in deep combat.

She paused for a second to see what was going on through all of the chaos. Her heart began to beat faster at the familiarity of the scene. _My nightmare! It's happening! _

Everything was happening just like her dream except with a few changes. Gobber and Spitelout were near the docks trying to stop the wave of Outcasts entering Berk while the other teens were standing back to back cutting them down as quickly as possible. She watched as Snotlout and Camicazi worked together to defeat a group of Outcasts that attacked them. Tuffnut and Heather cornered two others and put them out of commission while Fishlegs and Ruffnut were separated by a large group of Outcasts. Fishlegs was handling them pretty well but Ruff was becoming overwhelmed.

_I'm not about to lose any of my friends._

Astrid sprinted toward Ruff and stopped an Outcast from giving a mortal blow to Ruff's head. She used her axe to block the hammer and twisted her axe to where she could pry it from his hands easily. Once he was disarmed, she swung her axe and sliced him across the chest and he fell down dead.

"Astrid!" Ruff exclaimed as she jumped up and put her back to Astrid. Fishlegs joined them and the three of them fought off the large wave that they saw coming toward them. "I thought you were at the cove."

"I was," Astrid yelled over the battle.

"But what about him? Is he ok?"

"No! He's not ok. He's not even sick!"

"What do you mean?"

"Who's not sick?" Fishlegs asked feeling a bit out of the loop.

"Never you mind," Astrid said.

"How is he not sick? You still sound distressed."

"That's because he's dying!" Astrid screamed in anger and took it out on the Outcast's head that was nearby.

"What?! Dragon's dying?"

"Dragon? Who's Dragon? A real dragon?" Fishlegs asked confused to the direction the conversation had gone.

"What started his death?"

"I don't know. Where's Stoick? I don't see him anywhere," Astrid asked trying to find him. She hadn't seen him at the front, like in her dream, and thought that maybe her dream could be stopped from happening.

"He's on the other side of the island," Snotlout said as he and Camicazi joined their circle.

"How do you know?" Tuff asked as he and Heather joined as well.

"My dad told me. He told me to be on alert."

"Ok. So why is this happening?" Heather asked.

"They're Outcasts. Do they really need a reason?" Camicazi asked.

"Cami has a point," Fishlegs agreed.

Astrid and the large group kept the wave of Outcasts at bay for quite a while. The number in each wave began to slowly diminish as they hammered, punched, shot, and axed them down. Several times they had been pushed together so tight that it almost made it impossible to fight. They would push them away and give themselves more room to fight but then before they knew it, each of them were engulfed by Outscasts with no hope if help. However, they all decided to retreat back into each other and were able to fend them off once again.

They may have been able to survive the several waves of attacks but not without injuries. Tuff had a hit to the head that was now bleeding down his face with several cuts and bruises from other contacts with his skin. Heather had been knocked down to the ground and sprained her leg but had also received a blow to her hip that made it hard for her to run. Luckily for her, her choice of weapon was the bow and arrow. Camicazi had been hot by an arrow in her left arm but she pulled it out and continued to fight through the pain. Ruff had been hit several times with a hammer and axe. She had bruises forming under her clothes but you could see where the axe made their marks with the stain of red on her clothes. Fishlegs seemed the least hurt for his extra padding saved him from several of the blows to his chest and lower torso but the arrows and axes still left blood stains on his tunic.

Snotlout and Astrid seemed to have the most damage done. Astrid had several cuts on her arms from close contact with the enemy's weapons. On her side was a large gash from a sword that had gotten past her defenses but the Outcast who's hand was attached to said sword was soon dead by Astrid's axe. She also had a hit on the back of her head which was starting to turn her blonde hair red. This wound was beginning to make it hard for her to fight but she pushed past the pain. Snotlout, on the other hand, had several gashes in his arm and his legs. His ego kind of got in the way and he learned the hard way that he was not as invincible as he thought. Nevertheless, he was still a great fighter. He took out several Outcasts despite his wounds. He received others as well. He had went ahead several times to help one of the others and had gotten hot with hammers and arrows. Of everyone in the group, Snotlout was weakened the most with Astrid behind him and Tuff behind her.

They had successfully stopped the wave of Outcasts from going deeper into Berk and they began to cheer but Snotlout noticed something.

"Some have broken through our defenses! They're headed toward the Great Hall!" he hollered as he pointed. Everyone turned and saw a small group of Outcasts running up the hill to reach the Great Hall door.

"That's where the elderly and young kids are stationed!" Heather informed.

"Well, duh! That's where they're always stationed during an attack," Tuff deadpanned.

Ruff punched her brother in the gut and frowned. "This is no time for jokes."

"What do we do? No one else seems to notice?" Fishlegs panicked as a few of the Outcasts had reached the door and began to pound against it to try and open it.

Astrid looked around trying to find some help. She saw that Gobber and Spitelout were being pushed back with great speed and that the other Vikings were up to their necks in Outcasts. No one had seen them and Astrid and the others were the only defense for the kids and elders.

She had made up her mind and came up with a quick plan. "Snot, Cami, and Ruff. You come with me. Tuff, Heather, and Legs. You go and protect the Great Hall."

The group split up and ran in their respective directions as Camicazi asked, "Where are we going?"

"We're going to help Gobber and Spitelout push back the Outcasts if we can!" Astrid yelled. "If we can whittle down the number that get through, the others won't have such a hard time trying to keep them back."

Just as Gobber was knocked to the ground by someone knocking his peg leg from under him, Astrid leaped into the fight and pushed back said Outcast.

"Don't you even dare!" she yelled at them. The Outcasts paused for a second, taken aback by the sudden back up. They, however, quickly got over their shock and began to attack with great force. Outcast after Outcast attacked the small group but were unable to get through. In fact, they were pushed back to where Gobber and the others had the high ground.

"Thanks lads and lasses," Gobber said as he looked at her with a swollen shut eye and a blood streaked face. His body was cut and bruises and his peg leg was sore to walk on.

"We needed a bit of help," Spitelout said as he flexed his gashed arms in attempt to intimidate the Outcasts. His left hand hung limp to his side with several broken bones.

"Where are the others?" Gobber asked.

"They're protecting the Great Hall," Snotlout said. "Some Outcasts got through."

"By the look of things, they fended them off," Camicazi said.

Astrid looked toward the Great Hall for sure, there were no Outcasts up there. Just the others running down the hill to help other groups fight the Outcasts. Heather was behind them slowly trying to catch up but she was still picking the Outcasts off just as fast as the others ran into the crowd.

"Yeah! Tuff's leading the charge!" Ruff smiled triumphantly.

Suddenly, a large burly Outcast broke through the crowd and took Gobber and Spitelout by surprise. They were out of the picture for a second from when they were knocked down by his massive body but it was enough for the Outcast to get past and head for the young adults.

Astrid, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Camicazi held their ground and stalled him for a while. They delivered several blows, also receiving several, while Gobber and Spitelout broke out of their daze. Gobber and Spitelout attacked from behind putting the Outcast off balance. He threw out his arms to try and steady himself but failed. He did, however, succeed in hitting Astrid hard enough to send her flying across the field and violently roll for several yards.

"Astrid!" Ruff and Gobber yelled in concern. They would have come to help but the burly Outcast was joined by other Outcasts and they couldn't get away.

Astrid took a second to catch her breath. The blow had caused the wind to be knocked out of her and now her chest hurt badly not to mention that it didn't help her head injury any. When she finally was able to stand, she felt a large presence behind her. She slowly turned around and was confronted by a large Viking with a large black, scraggly beard and scar ridden face.

"'Ello pretty," The Viking said.

"Alvin the Treacherous," Astrid spat.

"Oh! So you know me? That's good. Well, no that's out of the way-" Alvin suddenly raised his arm to swing and Astrid raised her axe to defend herself but he was too fast and she was too disoriented. He disarmed her by sending her axe flying back in the direction she came from and then sent her flying again toward the cliff.

Astrid tried to get up every time that Alvin struck her down but he had the advantage. Her head injury was making it hard to see and her flexes slow while Alvin was strong and untouched. He grinned wider and wider every time that Astrid got up try and defend herself. He laughed, "You're feisty and determined. I like that. Too bad you have to die. You would have been a great warrior on my side."

"I would never betray my people to save my life. I would never join you, you mad psychopath."

"I figured as much. That's why I said it's a pity I have to kill you."

Alvin smiled wickedly and raised his hand once again to throw Astrid off the cliff which Astrid was just a few inches from her death. Astrid raised her fists to try one more attempt to defend herself and to beat the crap out of Alvin but a sound stopped both in their tracks.

Alvin looked behind him and gasped and reached for his axe. "Drag-!" Alvin didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Astrid ducked and covered her eyes as a bright blue blast knocked Alvin over the cliff. Astrid looked over and saw that Alvin bobbed to the surface and swam to one of the Outcast ships.

Astrid sighed in relief and frustration. _Alvin was stopped but he didn't die_. _Typical. It's going to take a god to kill him._ She then remembered who had rescued her and her eyes went wide. She wiped her head around so fast, she could have broken it.

"Dragon! What? How? You need to get out of here. Fast! Before someone sees you!"

Dragon's eyes were slits and his teeth were barred. His wings were wide and he crouched on his legs. The adrenaline of what just transpired quickly wore off and he collapsed on the floor. Astrid got up fast, completely ignoring her screaming limbs and head, and ran to his side.

In the flickering flames, she could see that the scales on his head had faded to a dark auburn color and that his eyes had faded considerably. "That's impossible. I just saw you a few minutes ago."

Dragon raised his head and looked behind him and Astrid followed his motion. She gasped at the light pick sky beginning to rise over the mountain. "I've been fighting all night?! It felt like minutes!" Dragon looked at her with exhausted eyes and huffed as he laid his head down on her lap. "Thank you Dragon for saving me but you need to get back. I need to know that you're safe if I'm to continue to defend my home efficiently. Please. Try and get back."

Dragon looked at her and saw the pleading in her eyes and forced himself to get up. He slowly and painfully began to walk toward the forest. Astrid continued to watch as Dragon rounded a house but then her attention was grabbed by a warrior yell from Heather. She looked back at where she last saw Dragon, seeing that he wasn't there anymore, then ran in the direction of the yell and joined her friends again. On the way, she came across her axe and she smiled. After a while, her lungs felt as if they were on fire but she forced herself to continue to defend her home and her family.

* * *

Gobber watched as his adoptive daughter had been thrown away from the fight that was transpiring. He really wished that Stoick heard the warning horn and was heading back to Berk but he knew that he'd be on the other side of the island and that the horn can't be heard from that side of the island. _Maybe he didn't that far by the time I blew the horn. Maybe he did hear it._

He tried to push his way to where Astrid landed but the Outcasts got in the way. With new vigor, he threw them away and made a path to reach Astrid but when he got there, Astrid wasn't anywhere to be found. Behind him, he heard Snotlout, Spitelout, Ruffnut and Camicazi take down the massive Outcast and start pushing the rest back. Not far away, he found Astrid's axe but no Astrid.

_Where is she? _

Just then he heard a noise that was not one identified with the current battle. However, it was sound from past battles, a sound he never thought he'd hear again. It was a blast. An explosion. One he used to hear during dragon raids. He ran toward the sound only to be blocked once again by an Outcast who sent Astrid's axe flying behind him. He quickly did away with him and continued toward the sound. When he got closer, no one was there but he did see something move near the forest.

He walked past the house and came just in time to see Dragon collapse once again on the floor.

"Dragon? What are you doing here?" Gobber asked as he approached the weakened Night Fury. "You're sick. You need to rest and keep up your strength. If someone sees you here, they're going to kill you. That in turn would kill Astrid."

Dragon looked at him in weak confusion. Gobber sighed. "Astrid has become a better woman since she met you. You're her world now. I haven't seen her so concerned or caring for anyone or anything since her parents died. She cares about you more than her own axe I think. If you were to die, she would lose another loved one I her life. I don't think she could take another loss. Please, get back to the cove."

Dragon cooed sadly but force himself up once again and slowly walked into the forest. Gobber watched as Dragon faded into the darkness of the forest then turned to join the battle once again.

Gobber, however, wasn't the only one watching.


	25. The Village On The Hunt

Here's the next chapter! ENJOY!

* * *

The battle was over and Astrid collapsed from exhaustion. Her head injury finally took hold and the loss of blood made her muscles hard to move. Ruff and Tuff, who weren't as injured, had decided to take her to their house and let her sleep while they cleaned her wounds. They wrapped up her side and cleaned her head. They then cleaned their own wounds then collapsed next to her. The rest of the village had been busy with cleaning up after their victory and soon they were sitting or lying down in exhaustion.

It was midday when Astrid woke up with a start remembering that Dragon needed her. Her sudden movements jolted Ruff and Tuff awake and almost knocked her back down. Her head spinned and she felt sick. She held onto the wall until the world stopped spinning.

"Five more minutes mom," Tuff mumbled.

"Astrid. What's the rush?" Ruff asked drowsily.

"Dragon. He's still out there dying. I can't believe I slept this late."

"Who's Dragon?" Tuff asked half asleep.

"Never mind," Ruff shushed.

"Oh, gods. I can't believe it. I've never done this before," Astrid stressed as she tried to get to the door.

"Well you did just fight a long battle," Tuff mumbled.

"And took several injuries but he's got a point. Nonetheless, someone needs to be by his side. He's helped us several times, it's the least we can do."

"Who helped us several times?" Tuff asked.

"None of your business!" Ruff snapped. Then she said softly, "Yet."

"Thanks. I'm stopping by Gobber's to let him know that I'm alright then I'm heading over."

"Alright. I'll meet up later. I want to see him one more time."

Astrid nodded and headed out of the door still completely exhausted and doing her best to keep the world from spinning.

Ruff watched her friend head towards Gobber's house and was about to shut the door when movement caught her eye. She looked and saw a large tired mob headed toward Gobber's house as well with Dagur in the lead. He had a grim but mischievous grin on his face which put a shiver down her spine.

_He's up to something._

"Tuff! Wake up!" Ruff said as she kicked her brother who had fallen back asleep.

"No." Tuff mumbled.

"Yes! We need to get the others." Ruff put on her boots and walked to the door.

"Why?" Tuff asked as he forced himself up.

"Dagur's up to something deranged and uncool."

* * *

"Gobber?" Astrid asked as she entered his house. If he was asleep, she didn't want to wake him. She could always leave a note. She walked in a little farther, closing the door behind her. As she looked around the corner, she watched as he got up.

"Astrid?" she heard him ask in relief. "Oh, I thought something had happened. I couldn't even find the twins." He walked up to her quickly and embraced her in a huge Viking hug. Astrid was a bit surprised but she didn't fight it. She suddenly realized how much she missed hugs and how amazing they felt when given by someone who loved you. She loved Dragon's hugs but it was a different feeling when it's your own species giving you one.

Astrid melted into the hug as she said, "The twins must have taken me to their house after the battle. I don't even remember going there."

"Well thank Thor that you're alright." He put her down and suddenly had a serious expression on his face. "You're hurt."

"What do you mean?"

Gobber led her to a shiny piece of metal and showed Astrid her reflection. She lifted her hand to her head to touch the bandage that encompassed her head. "Oh. That explains why the world keeps spinning."

"At least the twins bandaged you and that you're alive."

"Yeah." She then turned to see that his wounds were still uncared for. "But yours aren't. Let me." She led him over to a chair and got the things she needed to clean his wounds and wrap them. She looked up and saw another grim expression on his face. "What?"

"Dragon was here."

"Yes I know."

"You did?"

"Yeah. He saved my life. Alvin was about to throw me off the cliff and Dragon blasted him off the cliff instead."

"So Alvin's dead?" Gobber asked with a hint of hope in his voice.

"No. I saw him swim to his ship."

"Darn." His face dropped in disappointment then contorted into confusion. "How did Dragon know you were in trouble?"

"I have no idea. He just appeared out of nowhere. Maybe he followed me the moment I left. He seemed just as concerned when the horn went off."

"Is he getting any better? I didn't get a chance to get a good look at him."

Astrid's shoulder's dropped and she lowered her eyes. "Dragon isn't sick. He's dying Gobber."

"What?" Gobber was shocked. "That's even stranger than the sudden sickness. How do you know?"

"The light in his eyes are fading and his scales are fading to a dark auburn. Not to mention the impossible temperature of his scales."

"But how-" Gobber was interrupted by a pounding on his door. Astrid stopped her nursing as she rose to get the door. Gobber put his hand out to stop her. "I can get it." He went to answer it and found Dagur with most of the village behind him. "What can I do for you?"

"You're being accused of treason," a voice called out.

"What? By whom?" Gobber asked astonished.

"By me," Dagur sneered.

"What's the charge?" Gobber asked. Astrid had come closer to the door to hear better.

"I heard you the other day, Gobber, say that you befriended a dragon."

Gobber scoffed at the idea. "Yea sure. What proof do you have?"

The rest of the villagers nodded at Gobber's question. They didn't believe Dagur's accusations and wanted to the truth for themselves. Besides they were too tired to get into a deep investigation.

"For one, you've been acting suspicious lately. Sneaking off into the woods."

"So? I could be working on a project for Stoick." The villagers nodded in acceptance of that answer.

"How about your sudden interest in all of the dragon manuals and Bork's notes?"

The villagers went silent to this and waited for the defense to this new accusation. There had been no need to read them since the dragons had stopped attacking. Gobber thought quickly as Astrid began to panic. "One of the twins asked me a question about a dragon I couldn't remember. I went to research it."

The villagers nodded once again in acceptance while Astrid released the breath she was holding. Dagur on the other hand smiled evilly.

"Very well, I guess I could have been mistaken." He turned to leave but then stopped and asked slyly. "What about the dragon I saw you talking to during last night's battle?"

Everyone went into an eerie silence. In the house, Astrid's eyes went wide with fear and her breathing quickened. The village looked at Gobber and Gobber began to panic. He'd been caught and there was no way to get out of this. Astrid began to panic and tried to find some way to protect him.

"It's true?" one villager whispered and soon the entire mob was in an uproar. They couldn't believe that the chief's best friend would do something so evil and vile.

"Arrest him!" one said.

"He's betrayed us!" a woman shouted.

Several of the larger Vikings came forward and grabbed Gobber who fought them and tried to explain. "You don't understand. That dragon isn't like the ones we used-"

"It doesn't matter," Dagur said. "You betrayed the village."

In the corner of his eye, Gobber saw the twins, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Camicazi, and Heather join the crowd. But what really made his heart race was the voice that began to defend him from behind.

"Stop it! He's not a traitor!" Astrid yelled as she stepped out of the house.

The mob and Dagur looked at her in surprise. They had no idea that she was in the house yet there she stood with a bandage around her head. She took it off to be taken a bit more seriously and starred them down aggressively.

Dagur smiled a pitiful smile and approached her.

"Oh dear Astrid. You're adoptive parent and friend is in a big mess isn't he?" He then turned to where only Astrid could hear him and said. "I can clear up this little mess if you just answer me correctly."

"What is it? What do I have to answer correctly?" Astrid spat already knowing what it would be.

"Say you'll marry me and be mine and let me do with you like I wish and I will convince the village that I may have been seeing things."

"What?"

"One little word will save him from being delivered to Valhalla sooner than anticipated."

Astrid thought about it for a second. _I don't want Gobber to die for my treachery. But befriending someone isn't a crime. Dragon is innocent and kind. I don't want to lose Dragon or Gobber but at the same time I don't want Dagur to touch me. He's got me between a rock and a hard place. _She looked around Dagur at Gobber and looked at him. She expected fear and worry but instead she saw denial and knowing.

Gobber saw the dilemma in her eyes. He knew exactly what Dagur had whispered to Astrid and he wouldn't let her do what she was thinking of doing. He hollered. "I will defend Dragon even if it means my death Astrid. Don't give up your freedom for me."

Astrid looked back at Dagur and thought about Dragon. About all that he'd done for her and the village. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Dagur in the eyes and firmly said, "No."

She then pushed him aside and announced the village. "Gobber is not the traitor. I am." The village gasped in horror. Their most promising young Viking had sided with the dragons as well as the chief's friend. Astrid continued when the murmuring died down a little. "Dragon saved my life in the forest a few weeks ago. I couldn't repay that good act by killing him."

"How did he save your life?" a villager asked. Dagur furled his eyebrows in concern at what was about to be said. Gobber and Ruffnut, on the other hand, smiled knowing that what he was about to get the same treatment he tried to dish to Gobber.

"I was being attacked in the forest by-"

"What does it matter?" Dagur interrupted. "She's in league with Gobber. They protected the beast together. Gobber lied for her when asked of her whereabouts. They could use it this monster to attack Berk! It was here last night! It was probably watching our weaknesses and figuring out when it was best to strike."

"No! That's not true!" Astrid protested. "He wouldn't do that! He's kind and protective of-"

"You. You're its mistress. It'll come after us in the middle of the night."

"No! He'll never do something like that. He's gentle and safe and comforting."

"You sound as if you have deep feelings for this ugly creature!"

"He's not the creature who's ugly, Dagur. You are!" Astrid spat back. The village murmured in shock. Astrid had insulted the most popular young man in the village. He was strong, good looking and an excellent fighter. Her friends, on the other hand, were smiling with approval and silently cheered.

Dagur began to lose his temper. "This is a dragon people! He roams in our forest where our little ones play, where our herds roam and graze. This beast could take your children." Parents gasped and held onto the little ones nearby.

"He could burn our town in our sleep. Destroy our food storage. Destroy our armory so that we can't fight back. Burn our ships so that we can't escape. It's a dragon and a big one with large claws and enormous teeth. A tail that can decapitate you and wings that can smother you."

"He's dangerous!" one Viking said.

"We're not safe till it's dead!" another shouted.

"I want its head mounted on the Great Hall wall!" shouted another.

"We must defend Berk!"

"Protect our children!" a woman hollered.

"Protect our families!"

Dagur smiled at the chaos that he now created. "Grab you axes, your hammers, your swords, you spears, and your arrows. Grab the bolas, the ropes, and catapults. We're going to find this beast and destroy it."

"NO!" Gobber yelled as he fought to get out of his entrapment. "You can't do this! He's harmless! He can't fight back! He's sick!"

"Oh, too bad. Lock him up!"

"You're a monster! You can't do this! I won't let you! He's my friend!" Astrid yelled as she went to help release Gobber. She was grabbed by two large Vikings before she could get any closer.

"Lock her up as well! We don't want them to go and warn the dragon."

Astrid and Gobber were dragged to the prison cells while fighting and protesting the entire way. They were thrown into separate cells and the doors slammed in their faces.

"Let us out! I'm going to tear you apart!" Astrid yelled.

"Then why would I let you out?" one of the Vikings said. The others laughed with him as they exited the prison.

Astrid began to throw herself against the bars of the cell hoping that they would break as Dagur began to lead the mob into the forest. From her cell, Astrid could hear Dagur yell, "If you find any other dragons, which I'm sure there are, kill them. But remember. The black one's mine!"

* * *

As the mob began to get out of control and ugly against Astrid and Gobber, Ruff pulled the rest of her friends away and into a room. She knew that she couldn't do anything for them and trying to come to their defense would only get her into the same situation as them. She figured she could help them better if she didn't get involved.

"I just can't believe Astrid or Gobber," Snotlout said.

"It just doesn't seem like them," Fishlegs said.

"I never thought that they would betray us like that," Camicazi said.

"But there must have been a reason why they did though," Heather thought out loud.

"There is no reason when it comes to dragons," Snotlout scoffed.

"Well, at least Astrid and Ruff's conversations make a bit more sense now," Tuff shrugged.

"What?" Camicazi asked and the others looked at him with shock.

"Come to think of it. Didn't you and Astrid say something about a dragon during the battle last night?" Fishlegs asked Ruffnut as he broke out of his shock. Everyone now looked at her with anticipation.

"Yes we did Fish. Yes, I knew about the dragon. Yes, I kept it a secret too."

"Why?" Heather asked. "You also committed treason."

"Look. Gobber and I caught Astrid with Dragon and we were going to report it but she changed our minds."

"How?" Snotlout asked.

"She told us what Dragon had done for her."

"And what was that?" Camicazi asked.

Ruff sighed. _I hope you will forgive me Astrid. _"Dagur attacked her in the forest and tried to rape her…"

"What?!" They all asked together, cutting Ruff off.

"I'm going to kill him!" Snotlout shouted. "No one hurts my friend."

"That's just wrong!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "That's not a respectable Viking."

"Dragon scarred him off before he could hurt her anymore. He even brought her supplies to temporarily deal with her injuries. He then brought her back to Berk," Ruff finished.

"That was kind of him," Heather said.

"But dragons aren't kind," Camicazi said. "They're vial, brutal, careless creatures."

"Not so!" Ruff said. "Dragon didn't attack Gobber and I when we caught him with Astrid. In fact he ran from us."

"Ok. But that still doesn't tell us why we should risk treason," Snotlout stated. As he crossed his arms over his chest. The others nodded in agreement.

"Next you'll be saying that he secretly saved Berk," Tuff said.

"Well, he did. Twice."

"What?" they all exclaimed together.

"How?" Fishlegs asked.

"When?" asked Camicazi.

"When the fish suddenly appeared, when the snow was melted away and when the crops we sown overnight."

The group thought about it for a minute and silently came to an agreement. Those things couldn't have been done by any human and the thought of dragons doing it made more sense than any of their other theories.

"Ok. We believe you. If this dragon is what you say he is and converts three very good Vikings to his side, maybe we're seeing in the wrong light," Snotlout said. The others nodded in agreement.

"I'm willing to commit treason if it's the right thing to do," Heather said.

"Here here!" The others cheered.

"Wait," Tuff called. "Didn't Gobber and you say something about this Dragon being sick?" He pointed to Ruff in confusion.

"No. Astrid said he was dying!" Fishlegs corrected.

They all turned to Ruff again for answers. "Yes. Apparently, Dragon just woke up and started dying. Astrid is hurting because of it."

"How is she hurting?" Camicazi asked.

"Dragon had not only saved her physically but also emotionally. He helped her get over the past five years of pain she had for her parent's death and other things she had been bottling up. He's a source of comfort for her. Ever since she's been with him, she began to smile and laugh again."

"What?!" Snotlout asked for everyone who's mouths were agape.

"Well, I suggest that we hurry," Tuff said.

"Let's go," Camicazi said as she was about to sprint toward the forest.

"Wait!" Ruff stopped her. "We need to get Astrid and Gobber out of jail so that they can help us. They know more about this than I do."

"So we split up?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yes!" Ruff nodded. "Fish, Lout, and Tuff. You'll come with me to try and delay the mob. Cami and Heather, you break them out. Astrid knows the way to the cove."

"Alright! Let's go!" Tuff jumped up and down in excitement.

The teens split up to stop a horrible event from occurring and to help their friends, new and old.


	26. Jail Break and Dragon Riders

Hey Everyone! I know it's been a while but here's the next chapter. It's almost done! I'm coming up with another idea pretty soon. But I probably won't start writing it till after HTTYD 2. Mainly because I want to see the characteristics of Eret and Drago. Who else is excited for it? I know I am! I'm counting the days till Friday! EEEEEEEKKK! Can't wait! Anyway, here we go!.

ENJOY!

* * *

Astrid threw herself again and again against the cell bars but they wouldn't budge. Even when she couldn't feel her arm anymore, she continued to try and break the bars down.

"Astrid. You're not go-" Gobber tried over and over again to make her stop but she ignored him, thinking only of Dragon and how much he needed a friend right now.

She then tried the bars over the small window. She pushed, dug, and pulled but they took wouldn't budge. Her fingers were bleeding from scratches and most of her fingernails had broken off into jagged shapes but she didn't care. She continued to dug and try to loosen them so that she could get to Dragon.

"They're not going to budge Astrid. I made them, I should know."

"Then there must be some sort of weakness. Everything does."

"Only if you have a large hammer or an axe but as you can see, we've been disarmed. Me, literally." Gobber grinned slightly at his own pun.

"This isn't time for jokes," she said angrily. She then smiled inside remembering something. "But I see where he gets it from now."

"Who gets what from?"

"Hiccup's knack of sarcasm during stressful times."

"Oh. I'm the guilty party," Gobber said proudly.

"But we need to get to Dragon. They're going to kill him."

"I know but there's no way that we're getting out without weapons or help."

Astrid sat down in defeat. She sighed and held her head in her hands. Dirt and blood smeared across her face where her fingers touched. She thought that she would never see Dragon again, that she'd never be happy again. Then she felt her heart and stomach twist and turn at the thought that she'd lose the one person that made her feel important. The one person that made her feel like she was special. "Just like Hiccup," she whispered.

"What was that?" Gobber asked.

"Nothing."

Gobber cocked an eyebrow but decided to let it go.

"This is all my fault!" Astrid exclaimed in frustration as she punched the stone wall causing a few of her fingers to crack unpleasantly. "If I had been a proper Viking and not let my emotions get in the way, this never would have happened. You wouldn't be here."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," Gobber said without a pause.

Astrid looked up confused. "What? Why?"

"I will die over and over, commit treason over and over for Dragon."

"Why?"

"Because of you. Because of his relationship with you."

"What do you mean?"

"Before, you were quiet and always angry. You didn't really talk to people. You were bottled up but he set you free in a sense. In these past few weeks, I've seen how happy you can be and I like this," Gobber said as he gestured to her. "Better than the past you."

Astrid looked down and thought about what Gobber said. _Have I really changed that much? Has Dragon really affected me that much? _Her breathing and heart began to race at a thought. "Well, he's dying and I'll be back to my old self."

"Do you really think so? Do you think he won't leave a lasting effect on you?"

"Yes, he will. Just like my parents did. Just like Hiccup did. I decided to open up, knock down my wall and let my feelings show again. Just like when I decided to open up to Hiccup. Just when I decided to show more to my parents."

"Why did you even have those defenses?"

"So I wouldn't get hurt again. I decided to open up to Hiccup, to get to know him and he died. I tried to be more caring and responsible to my parents and they died. And now, I tried to care for Dragon, to open up and try once again and now he's dying."

"But there are others. More you will get to know and care for."

Astrid shook her head in defeat. "No, Gobber. I'm a bad omen. Death follows me. Look at you. You took me in after my parents died and you're in jail with treason. I wouldn't let you get hurt and I only sealed your fate when I tried to help. You're going to die, Dragon's going to die, and I don't even know what's become of Ruffnut."

"She's on the way to the cove," Camicazi said as she exited the shadows followed by Heather.

Astrid and Gobber stood up and walked to the end of their cells. "Camicazi? Heather?" They asked together.

"What are you going here?" Gobber asked.

"We're breaking you out," Heather said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Is Ruff going alone?" Astrid asked.

"Alone?" Heather asked confused.

"To the cove?" Astrid detailed.

"No. Snotlout, Tuff, and Fishlegs are going with her. They're going to stall the mob while we get you guys out," Camicazi informed.

"Now, how to bust these open without the key," Heather asked out loud as she looked hard at the cell bars.

"Grab Astrid's axe over on the counter," Gobber ordered. Camicazi ran over and grabbed it while Gobber continued. "Place it under the hinges," Camicazi did as he instructed and placed the axe under the hinges of Astrid's cell. "And push down hard."

Camicazi pushed down with all of her might but nothing happened. "Again!" Gobber said. She continued to push but nothing happened. Once, the hinges groaned in movement but not enough to do anything.

"Heather!" Camicazi called. "Come help me."

Heather ran over and helped push with Camicazi. They continued to push and the hinges began to budge a little. "Good gods! Who built these?"

"Gobber," Astrid said and the other two girls just looked at Gobber with annoyed disbelief. Astrid then turned to Gobber and asked, "This is your cell's weakness?"

Gobber shrugged. "It was designed to lessen the possibility of escape. Especially for Outcasts. I never thought I'd have to break out of my own designs."

"Finally!" Heather and Camicazi cheered together as the hinges popped out of place and the cell door fell down. Astrid got out and Camicazi handed her the axe.

Astrid turned to Gobber's cell and placed the axe under his cell's hinges. "Now for you."

"No," Gobber said as he pushed Astrid's axe away.

"But we need to get you out," Astrid said.

"No, you need to get to Dragon. He needs you more than I do right now."

"But you might die," Heather said.

"Yes that's true. And if anyone finds you two here," Gobber said as he pointed at Heather and Camicazi. "You will also be in the same predicament and none of you will be able to help Dragon or the others."

"Gobber," Astrid started.

"Go! Now!" Gobber yelled.

Astrid, Heather, and Camicazi began to run out of the jail when Astrid stopped. She picked up his prosthetic hand and gave it to him. "Hopefully you'll be able to get out without our help." With that the three girls ran out of the jail and bolted into the forest.

"I will do my best," Gobber said as he attached his hand and began to work on the hinges himself.

Ruff led the others into the forest with great ease. She remembered the way to the cove while the mob had no idea where it was located. _That's my advantage. I know where Dragon is and they don't. Hopefully, it's enough of one. _The villagers were busy scouring the entire forest trying to find where the Night Fury was located and not really paying attention if a group of young adults dodged trees and boulders.

_Do they know that they're looking for a Night Fury? That's going to be an interesting meeting if they ever get to the cove._

"Why are we going to the cove?" Snotlout asked.

"To see Dragon," Ruff answered.

"Yeah but how's seeing him going to help him?" Tuff asked.

"Because maybe we can better defend him in the cove," Fishlegs said.

"But woul-" Snotlout started only to have a hand slapped over his mouth and thrown against a tree.

"Shut up and hide," Ruff whispered to the others. Tuff hid behind a rock while Fishlegs fell to the ground and hid under some bushes. Ruff looked around the tree and saw a few of the villagers walking toward them.

"I heard movement over here," one Viking said.

"I did too. I also saw movement," the other said.

They continued toward the hiding Vikings and were getting to close for comfort. They were too busy looking at the ground and low tree branches for any sign of a dragon.

_I can't kill them, they're still part of the village. They don't realize what they're doing. Maybe I can just lead them in a different direction._

She looked around to find a way to send them running in a different direction. She came up with an idea and turned to Snotlout. "I'm going to remove my hand but you have to keep quiet so that I can proceed with my plan." When Snotlout nodded, she let him go.

The others looked at her with expectation as she bent down and picked up a good size rock. Their eyes went wide with what they thought she was about to do.

"You can't-" Fishlegs started but stopped when she turned behind her and threw the rock with all her might, which was a lot. They all watched as the rock landed far behind them making a loud noise and as the villagers turned and ran in that direction.

At the same time, Ruff ran toward the cove with the others close behind. When they were certain the villagers hadn't followed, they slowed down a bit to look out for others more carefully.

"I thought you were going to hurt them," Fishlegs said.

"Yeah, me too. I thought I was going to have a heartless sister," Tuff said.

"I'm not heartless. If I was, I wouldn't have befriended a dragon."

"Back to what were discussing before," Snotlout changed the subject. "Wouldn't it be better if we sent them in circles?"

"We will," Ruff agreed. "But we need to secure Dragon first." They all agreed and proceeded to follow Ruff through the forest to the cove. When they entered, they stopped.

Ruff expected to find only Dragon but he wasn't alone. He was surrounded by four other dragons who seemed to be saddened by the dying Night Fury.

"Barf?" Ruff asked. The head of the Zippleback who was christened with that name, turned to the source who had said it. The other head turned as well and walked over to her. Barf lowered his head and she placed a hand on his nose.

Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Tuff were very nervous but awed at the same time. They backed away in fear, though they would never admit it. Tuff was the first to recover from his spout of fear. When he saw how his sister acted toward the Zippleback, he felt safe and walked up to stand next to her.

"So you've named this dragon Barf?"

"Yep. I don't care if you don't like it."

"I didn't say that." Tuff began to raise his hand to touch the other head. He wanted to feel as safe and comfortable as Ruff was at the moment. He felt safe, but he wanted to be relaxed. His hand felt a pleasant shock as the Zippleback closed the gap. He grinned and said, "Well, it seems as if this dragon has two names now."

"What do you mean?" Ruff asked.

"Cause I named him Belch."

"No, it's Barf."

"Belch!"

"Guys!" Fishlegs interrupted. "It's got two heads with two different personalities. Maybe it does have two names. One for each head."

Ruff and Tuff looked at each other and then looked at the dragon. They all made eye contact and nodded.

"A double headed dragon for twins. Who would have thought?" Ruff said.

As the group was paying attention to the Zippleback, the other dragons came over, except for Stormfly. The Gronkle stepped up and seemed to be drawn to Fishlegs and vice versa.

Fishlegs held out his hand, just like Tuff did, and the Gronkle closed the gap. "Meatlug," Fishlegs smiled.

"Hookfang," Snotlout said as the Monstrous Nightmare closed the gap.

They all took a few seconds to get over the shock of what happened. They had never seen something or experienced something like this before and it was amazing.

Barf and Belch looked behind them for a second then turned back to the twins. They walked behind them and began to push them toward Stormfly. Automatically, the others followed as well and they all gasped at what they saw.

Lying on the floor was a Night Fury but his scales weren't completely black. He definitely didn't look like the healthy Night Fury that gave Ruff the chance to experience the skies. Ruff walked up to Dragon and silently knelt down.

She put her hand on his head and Dragon moved slightly. His eyes opened and her eyes increased in depression. "You are dying. It doesn't look like you have much time."

"If he doesn't have much time, Astrid's not going to make it in time," Snotlout said.

"Yeah, either he'll die or Dagur will find him first," Tuff said.

"Uhhh. Guys," Fishlegs stuttered.

"What?" Ruff said uncaring. She was too distracted thinking about how Astrid would feel if she came and he was dead. _It would break her heart. The two just seemed…right together. They had such a relationship. No. That's not the right word. Chemistry? That sounds better. If he dies, she'll seclude herself again. I don't want that. It will probably be another five years till something happens along to open her up again._

"The villagers…" he started.

"They're getting close!" Snotlout finished.

Ruff snapped her head and she listened. They were getting close. She could hear them chatting through the forest, communicating that they hadn't seen anything. The others came closer and dragon and Viking alike were huddled in fear.

"What do we do?" Fishlegs asked. "If we try to get out the way we came in, we'll just alert them to where Dragon is."

"Not to mention put the other dragons in harm's way," Snotlout said.

"I don't know," Ruff said. "I didn't think they'd get here this fast."

"Well we're doomed," Tuff said. "It's not like we can fly out."

Ruff's eyes went wide and she smiled. "Tuff!" she said as she hugged him. "You're a genius!"

"Well duh. You're just now noticing? You're a horrible sister."

"How is he a genius?" Snotlout asked.

"Fly out."

"Fly? How?" Fishlegs asked.

Ruff cocked an eyebrow and looked at the dragons that were around them. "They can help us. We can ride them and they can get us out of here without being seen. Once we're out, we can lead the villagers away from the cove."

"That's great and all but there's one problem," Snotlout said.

"We can't fly them," Fishlegs finished. "We just met them and you're expecting us to just hop on their backs and fly off?"

"Yep," Ruff said. She then went over the Barf and he lowered his head so she could get on.

"Alright!" Tuff exclaimed running over to Belch. Belch lowered his head and Tuff jumped on as well.

"How do we even know that the dragons want to help us?" Fishlegs asked.

"Because Dragon is there friend as well as ours. Besides, look at Meatlug and Hookfang," Ruff said gesturing to said dragons.

Meatlug and Hookfang had walked up behind Fishlegs and Snotlout. When the two boys turned around, the dragons turned and lowered their heads to indicate to 'get on'. Fishlegs and Snotlout looked at each other in doubt then to Ruff and Tuff who sat comfortably on the Zippleback. If they were able to do this, so could they.

Snotlout and Fishlegs boarded their dragons and they took off into the sky.

"We'll try and lead them away Dragon," Ruff said before the Zippleback took off. Stormfly cooed at Dragon once more before she too took off with the others.

The four dragons and Vikings could see the villagers below in the forest but the tree canopies hid them from the villagers. They continued to circle the forest to get a good idea of where the majority of the villagers were and saw that it was too close to the cove for comfort.

"Here's what we do," Ruff said. "First we will turn them away from the cove. We have dragons and they're looking for dragons, we will have them come after us. Stormfly, you stay near the cove and alert us if anyone gets too close. The rest of us, spread out a bit and start turning them away. Especially Dagur! We need to make sure that Dagur doesn't find Dragon!"

"Let's do this!" Snotlout cheered.

"But no harming them! They are still family and friends!" Ruff added.

"Thank Thor!" Fishlegs breathed.

"Let's save Dragon!" Tuff yelled.

The four dragons split up and gracefully entered the canopy. Barf and Belch, Meatlug, and Hookfang quickly got the attention of the villagers. The villagers, however, didn't see the Vikings riding them. The villagers followed and aimed at the dragons, trying to shoot them down but when you have trees and rocks in the way, it's a lot harder said than done.

They weaved in and out of trees. They dove and climbed under bushes and rocks. They doubled backed and flew close to the villagers to unbalance them. It took the young adults a while to get the villagers to do what they wanted them to do. They all thought that they were indeed incredibly thick. Besides dodging nature, the dragon riders had to also dodge the occasional arrows and bolas that didn't get caught by branches or other unfortunate animals.

One lucky Viking was finally able to hit Meatlug, who was slower than the others. Fishlegs was thrown from her and rolled a few feet away. The other Vikings and dragons saw this and saw that the villagers were charging with intent to kill. They all turned around to save her but they all saw that they would be too late.

Just as the axe was about to come down on the Gronkle's head, Fishlegs put himself in between and yelled, "Noooo!"

All of the Vikings stopped and looked at Fishlegs with shock. A Viking was protecting a dragon. Again! What is Berk coming to?

"Get out of the way son," one Viking said. "Or you'll be charged with treason like the others."

"Really?" Fishlegs said. "Is it treason to protect the one that saved us all?"

The mob muttered in disbelief and uncertainty. Had this dragon really saved them? If so, how? Why would they? They are nothing but cold blooded killers. Right?

"What do you mean?" The Viking asked.

"They saved us. What more do you want?"

"How did it save us?"

"They?" Another Viking asked.

"It just wasn't this one?" another Viking asked.

"No," Fishlegs said. "It was several. All of them," Fishlegs explained as he motioned to the other dragons who landed behind him. The mob gasped as the Viking riders jumped off of the dragons and stood next to Fishlegs.

"You all have sided with the dragons?" the Viking asked.

They looked at each other. They smiled knowingly at the thought of them being able to help Astrid and Dragon see the good side of dragon. The thought that maybe their friends, new and old, would be protected. They proudly straightened themselves and said unanimously, "Yes."

"But why?"

"Because they aren't the horrible creatures we thought they were," Ruff said.

"There's much more to them than that," Tuff said.

"They saved us from starving and freezing to death," Snotlout said.

"How did they do that?"

"They brought us the fish that suddenly appeared," Fishlegs said.

"They melted the snow so we could get out of our houses," Snotlout said.

"They re-sowed our fields," Ruff and Tuff said together.

The mob thought for a second and slowly lowered and put away their weapons. They looked at each other in uncertainty and then looked down ashamed. If the dragons were willing to do that for them, maybe they aren't the monsters they grew thinking they were. Maybe they had been to blind to see the other side of the story. If these young adults are willing to break tradition and bring forward the truth, maybe they should listen. These dragons helped them a lot. Saved them. They deserve a reward not death.

"We didn't know," the Viking said. "We all grew up fearing dragons and even had to fight them for several years. The thought and fear that they might start attacking again was too strong to even consider any other possibilities. We were just thinking about our families and children."

"We understand that but we all need to take a step back and look at the whole picture," Ruff said. "And trust me. I was just like you when I first found out. And so was Gobber."

"To think that Gobber would betray us without a thought," Another Viking said.

"Dagur didn't give us a chance to hear both sides of the story," the Viking said.

"Wait!" Ruff said. She looked around and then looked at the dragons and riders with fear and they soon understood what she was thinking. The very person they were trying to protect Dragon from wasn't around. They all had a horrible feeling in the pit of their stomachs. Something had gone wrong.

"Where's Dagur?!" they said in unison.


	27. You Can't Die

Here"s the climax! ENJOY!

* * *

Dagur had been ecstatic when the mob began to follow him with great ease. _They're so easy!_ He had thought. However, when they began to search the forest and found nothing, he realized he had no idea where Astrid would have hid the beast. He began to scold himself for rushing in without any thought of where it might be.

_I should have interrogated Astrid before we left. Damn! I'm such a fool._

He then came up with an idea to look near where the dragon had scared him away when he had Astrid right where he wanted her. He smiled and began to search in that direction. Naturally, the mob began to follow.

The closer he got, a better feeling he had in his stomach. _I know I'm getting close. Be ready to die dragon._ His suspicions were solidified when he heard a strange sound. It was the sound of a dragon. It sounded like it was trying to soothe its young but he didn't care. He was going to do away with all the dragons on Berk and become the village hero. No one would doubt him or cross him. Not even Astrid.

As he got closer to where he thought the sound originated, dragons could be seen behind them and the mob quickly took off after them. There was a Monstrous Nightmare, a Gronkle, and a Zippleback but no black dragon. Since there was no black dragon, it wasn't his concern.

_They can get those. I'm after something better._

He continued toward the sound and found an opening. He was about to enter when he was intercepted by a Deadly Nadder. He was taken off guard and was a bit frightened by its sudden appearance. The Nadder looked at him with anger and determination. It was determined to stop him from entering.

"Trying to protect something?" Dagur sneered as he grabbed his bola. He went to throw it at the Nadder but it was too quick and flew out of the way. It landed behind him and looked sideways at him. "Fast aren't you? But not fast enough."

Dagur ran and leaped at the Nadder, landing in its blind spot. The bola, which he grabbed before he leapt at it, began to bunch in his hand as he prepared to throw it again. He then jumped out of it blind spot and kicked the Nadder with all his might causing her to stumble. While it tried to regain its balance, Dagur threw the bola, entrapping it.

The Nadder fell to the floor as Dagur walked up with a smug grin. "You can't defeat Dagur." The Nadder seemed to narrow its eyes and opened its mouth and began to howl to nothing. Dagur took another bola closing its mouth shut. "Now you can't call for help or blast me."

He began to laugh when a roar echoed through the air. He stopped and he froze in fear. He thought that the roar came from the Nadder but then he listened more carefully and realized it came from behind him.

_I know that roar. _He turned as he smiled and walked toward the sound.

He soon saw a strange cove and saw what he was looking for. He was about to approach it a lot quicker than he wanted when he almost fell down the steep cliff. He regained his balance but not without a few rocks falling down to get the dragon's attention. The dragon looked up at him but didn't do anything. In fact, it just laid there.

Dagur grinned when he remembered that Astrid and Gobber said something about it being sick. _Well, this is just too easy. I'm going to have a little fun first._

He grabbed his crossbow and aimed it at the dragon. He was going to aim for the head but then decided to aim for the legs. He let the arrow go and it hit its mark deep in the dragon's left leg. The dragon roared in pain and Dagur began to slide down the steep him with trained ease. He ran up to the dragon and kicked it hard in the side causing it to roll several times.

The dragon didn't move. It didn't attack him back. Dagur looked at the hulking black form. _Maybe I killed it already. _He approached the dragon and let out a sigh of relief when he saw the form move up and down.

"For a minute there, I thought that you were dead," Dagur said. He moved around the dragon and stood in front of its face. "You don't want to rob me of my fun now do you?" He backed up a bit and kicked the dragon hard once again.

Dragon looked up at the attacking Viking pleading with him to stop but the Viking didn't understand.

"You already robbed me once of my fun when you made me run from Astrid. I was about to have fun with her and you got in the way." He looked around and grabbed a large branch nearby and began to pound Dragon with it. "You saved her and protected her. You made a fool out of me. Ever since you entered her life you have stopped me. I haven't been in control. And it's your fault."

Dagur pounded Dragon a few more times before stopped and yelled, "Come on dragon! Fight back!" He looked at Dragon and saw that it wasn't fazed by his remarks. He then decided to try a different approach. "What? Too kind and caring to fight back? To gentle and protective? Well, you will never be able to be kind, caring, or protective of Astrid I can tell you that."

Dragon's eyes opened slightly and Dagur grinned. "We found out about her alliance with you and she's locked up. She'll die for treason because of you. If she doesn't die, I will ensure that her stay in prison is a horrible one for her but an enjoyable one for me."

Dragon was fully engaged at this point. His dull eyes flamed with anger and hatred. The adrenalin now ran through his body like a broken dam. He tried to stand up and failed a few times but eventually made it.

Dagur looked at Dragon with awe and fear. He then decided to continue torturing Dragon. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had feeling for her monster. Well forget it! Astrid's mine one way or another!"

Dagur leaped at Dragon, expecting him to run away but when Dragon lunged at him, fear took complete control. Dragon threw him back a long distance, knocking the wind out of him. Dagur took a second to get himself back together and when he did, he saw Dragon charging at him.

Dagur rolled out of the way just as Dragon's front paws hit the ground right where he was. Dagur got up and grabbed the large branch that had acted as his club earlier and threw it at Dragon's head, which dazed him. However, it didn't take long for him to begin charging again.

Dagur raised his crossbow once again and fired several shots. Most didn't hit its target but a few did causing Dragon to slow down and howl in pain. Dagur smiled and lowered his crossbow as Dragon fell to the ground in great pain. As Dagur approached, he unsheathed his sword and raised it over his head.

"Now you will never get in my way again!" he seethed. He quickly brought down his sword but it never made contact. Out of nowhere, a knife had been thrown, knocking his sword out of his hands.

As he looked to where the origin of the knife came from, he was attacked by a blur of yellow. He and the other person rolled a little ways before they stopped. When he was finally able to realize what had happened, Astrid was straddling him with a red face and raised fists.

"Now, this is nice," Dagur said with a sly grin. "I knew you'd come to me."

One by one, the fists flew into his face. Her eyes were filled with anger, hate, fear, and panic. With each blow, she felt better but she still had so much to take out on him.

"You son of a half troll! You will never harm me or my friends again! I will not let you harm me! I will not let you control my life! You will never get near me again! You will never hurt Dragon again! You will never hurt Gobber! You will never hurt my friends! You will never touch me! Dragon! Gobber! Ruffnut! Tuffnut! Fishlegs! Snotlout! Heather! Camicazi! The Chief!"

With each name she called off, she punched Dagur in the face. She was suddenly pulled off of him by Heather and Camicazi. She fought them to let her go but they held firm.

"Let me go!"

"No," Camicazi said.

"I think you did your damage to him," Heather added.

"Yeah. I don't think he can see now," Camicazi giggled a little.

"Besides, there's Dragon," Heather said.

Astrid stopped her fighting and her eyes went wide. She snapped her head over to where Dragon lay and saw his bloodied and damaged body. She wrenched her arms out of Heather and Camicazi's hands and ran over to the Night Fury.

Astrid stopped and slowly kneeled in front of his face. She slowly leaned forward and placed her hand on his still burning scales. The touch was hot but she didn't care. He was dying. She could deal with a burn.

Dragon's eyes opened and saw Astrid staring at him and he cooed ever so quietly. Her eyes began to water as she saw how much pain they were in. How faded they were. She even looked at the scales on his head and saw they were now an auburn color.

"Oh, Dragon!" She whispered as she shifted to his neck and hugged him.

The moment she was lifted off of Dagur, she had no idea she had an audience. She didn't hear four dragons fly in and land nearby. She didn't hear the several footsteps as the villagers entered the cove so when they gasped at her display of affection, she jumped.

She turned around and saw everyone looking at her and Dragon. She starred at them in fear and began to grab her axe when Ruff stepped forward and held out her hands.

"No, Astrid! They're not going to hurt him!"

"Then why are they here?" she asked in disgust.

"We're here to give you and your dragon an apology," a Viking said. Astrid lowered her axe and her mouth fell agape.

"We were acting on fear which Dagur sparked in us. We should have known that there was another side to your story."

"If only the chief was there," another Viking said. "Maybe this could have been avoided."

"But I wasn't there," a commanding voice said. Everyone turned and saw the chief walked into the cove with Gobber not far behind.

"Gobber!" Astrid exclaimed in relief.

"I told you I'd get out lass," he said.

Astrid got up and walked toward them. She stood tall in front of the chief as she began to explain. "Chief Stoick. I'm sorry but I can't let you or anyone from the village kill Dragon. He's-"

"I'm not here to kill anyone, Astrid," Stoick said.

"You aren't?

"No. Well, maybe him," Stoick motioned to Dagur.

"Then why are you here?"

"To fix this mess." Astrid looked confused and relieved at the same time. She looked at Gobber who gave her a reassuring look. "I had heard the warning horn on the far side of the island probably due to the wind carrying it. I headed back as fast as I could but when I entered Berk, many houses were burned down and there were massive graves. But the thing that really caught my eye was you and Heather and Camicazi running into the forest from the prison. I went to check it out and found Gobber trying to break out."

"It was an awkward few minutes," Gobber said rubbing the back of his head. "I decided to tell him the whole truth of how I got there and he believed me."

"You did?" Astrid asked. She thought it would take a lot of convincing and demonstration to change his mind about dragons. Especially after his son was killed by one.

"Yes." He saw her shocked reaction and sighed. "It began five years ago. After Hiccup died, I thought about what the witch had said. Maybe I was too closed minded. I began to understand my son even more through Gobber's stories and from looking at past events from a different point of view. I saw what Hiccup was like, in a sense. I began trying to look at things with a more opened point of view, which was hard. But when Gobber had told me about what the dragons had done, I had no problem believing it."

"Why?"

"Because I saw him cover up a dragon footprint near one of the fields. I thought he was going a little crazy but thought he'd have a good reason for doing so. And he did."

"And I thought I was being sneaky," Gobber frowned.

Stoick turned to the villagers. "No one will harm any of these dragons or their…" he looked at the Vikings who were beside their dragons and continued. "riders. They are members of the tribe now and to be treated like one."

Astrid and the other riders smiled and cheered at the news. _Maybe Dragon can be saved now._ At the thought of Dragon, she ran back over to him and lifted his head. His eyes opened to be greeted with a smiling face. He in turn tried to smile back but was too weak to do so.

"You and your friends are members of the tribe now. Maybe we can save you," she said hopefully.

"So this is the Night Fury you have befriended?" Stoick asked behind her. She looked up and nodded.

"This is Dragon chief."

He knelt down and looked at the dying Night Fury. The moment their eyes made contact, Stoick felt a strange emotion rise inside of him. It was an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time. He held out his hand and Dragon immediately closed the gap between them and Stoick gasped in shock. The Night Fury sparked a feeling of recognition and familiarized inside Stoick.

"Hello, Dragon," he whispered.

"He must have known you too," Gobber said as he hobbled up.

"What do you mean?"

"He quickly trusted you," Astrid said. "You must have been something very special to him. Even if you didn't know it."

Just as Stoick was about to remark, Dagur came screaming up behind them. Before any one of them could grab their weapons, a bright blue blast went off between them and Dagur. Astrid looked at Dragon and saw that he wasn't the one who shot it. She looked around and saw a flash of a black blur at the top of one of the cliffs.

She turned to Dragon and asked, "Is there more than one of you?" Dragon raised his head slightly and with effort, shook his head.

"Then who shot that blast?" Gobber asked.

"I don't know. But it came from over there," Astrid pointed to the far cliff. Stoick and Gobber walked next to her, their backs to the downed Dagur, which was a bad idea.

Everything happened so fast for the three Vikings but Dragon saw it long before it took effect. Dagur got up and saw that Astrid, Gobber, and Stoick didn't see him. He grabbed his crossbow and loaded it quickly and aimed for his three victims.

"Look out!" Ruff yelled the moment she saw Dagur aim.

The three turned to see Dagur fire the first shot. Astrid's eyes went wide realizing that she was going to die. She went to throw her hands up in front of her in a useless attempt to stop the arrow. She mentally prepared herself for the hit but it never came.

She opened her eyes to see nothing but black. At first, she thought that she did die but she heard the water licking the shore, birds chirping and felt the fading sun on her skin. Suddenly, the black fell to the ground and it took her a second to realize what had happened.

"Dragon!" she screamed. She ran around the downed mass and fell to her knees once again. She didn't care that Dagur was reloading to fire at her again.

"Don't you do it boy!" Stoick yelled as he grabbed his hammer to throw if he saw that Dagur would actually pull the trigger.

"Whatever. I'm going to get my way whether you like it or not," Dagur smiled through the caked blood on his face. He was about to pull the trigger to kill Astrid when he felt his body hit the ground hard and a large weight put on it.

"A Night Fury!" he heard the villagers gasp.

Dagur took a second to shake off the second time the wind was knocked out of him and looked up to see two large emerald green eyes staring him down. The slits were as narrow as they could go and the teeth were barring with all of their might. On his chest was a large black paw that held him down with little effort.

"Another Night Fury," Dagur breathed. The Night Fury reared his head as he began to build up gas to kill him but he suddenly stopped. He looked over to where Astrid and Dragon were.

Astrid had looked up when Dragon tried to move toward where Dagur was and howled with all of his might. She turned to see a large Night Fury pinning Dagur to the ground. She looked him up and down and gasped as she saw his tail. It was missing a left fin on his back tail.

She looked back and forth between Dragon and the other Night Fury. She tried to see how the two were connected. Why they were so similar. She then suddenly remembered something from Hiccup's journal and looked at the other Night Fury closely.

"Toothless," she whispered.

The Night Fury on top of Dagur snapped his head to look at her when she whispered his name. His eyes softened a little when he saw the amazement and sadness in her eyes. Dagur tried to get up and Toothless was snapped back to what he had caught.

He looked at the struggling Viking and came up with a decision. He reared up on his hind legs, with Dagur still attached to them, and brought them down hard onto the ground knocking the Viking out cold.

Toothless then retracted his teeth and quickly leapt over to Astrid and the dying Dragon. Toothless sniffed him and nudged him but Dragon moved less than what Toothless wanted. He cooed in a way that sounded like he was crying. Soon the other dragons were doing the same.

The cove sounded like an eerie choir of crying dragons. Astrid raised her hand and placed it gently on Toothless's head. Toothless pulled back in surprise and narrowed his eyes in uncertainty at her. He slowly relaxed as he continued to look into her revealing eyes.

"I'm a friend too Toothless," Astrid said. "But he's dying. Is there anything that we as Vikings can do?"

Toothless looked at Dragon who growled something almost inaudibly but Toothless heard it. He turned back to Astrid and downcast his eyes as he shook his head.

Astrid's eyes watered and she flung herself around Dragon's neck tightly hoping that the tighter she held him, the more likely he'd be able to stay. "You can't die. You can't. You're my friend. You helped me open my mind. Show you my weaknesses. Helped me through a lot of grief. You can't die!"

Gobber hobbled over and kneeled next to Dragon as he placed his hand on his head. "Thank you Dragon for saving my daughter. She has been my life for these past few years. I don't know if I could handle the death of another loved one."

"Gobber," Stoick said. Gobber lifted himself off the ground and stood next to Stoick. "Another loved one?"

"Hiccup," Gobber said plainly. Stoick nodded his head in understanding and then bent down to Dragon to say his thanks.

"Thank you Dragon, for saving my village. We would have starved and frozen to death if it wasn't for you. I am in your debt, a debt I don't know how to repay. Hopefully, initiating your kind into my tribe can be a start. Thank you again."

With that, Stoick stood as Toothless and Astrid remained near Dragon.

Astrid continued to sob into Dragon's thick hide as the sun began to set. The remaining light began to disappear into shadow as Astrid spoke softly to Dragon.

"You remind me so much of Hiccup. Your eyes, your personality, your protectiveness. I can't lose another Hiccup. It's not right. Everyone I'm close to ends up dying. Anyone I have feelings for. You can't die. You're my support, my comfort, my happiness, my joy. I can't live without that anymore. I don't want to go back to the old me."

The shadow crept closer and closer to the strange scene before them. The water turned from a glittering blue to a dark, dull blue as the shadow engulfed it.

"You can't die. You're my friend. Someone I can talk to without getting judged. Someone who makes me laugh and smile. You can't die! You can't because, because, because…"

The shadow had almost reached them, to engulf them forever in a world of darkness. Dragon's breathing was almost none existent and so was his heartbeat. Dragon opened his eyes to look at Astrid one more time before he left the world.

Astrid in turn looked into his eyes one more time and new exactly why he could die. Why he couldn't do this to her.

"You can't die because I love you," Astrid whispered to him.

Dragon smiled weakly before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and whole body went limp. His breathing stopped and his heart stopped beating just as the shadow over took the two of them.

"No. No. No. No. NO!" Astrid began to scream as Dragon's body went limp. She held onto him tighter and closer to her. Astrid began to cry into his neck as Toothless and the other dragons began to coo in mourning. The Vikings took off their helmets and bowed their heads in sadness.

* * *

Oh no! Dragon! Sorry to do this to you guys! Don't hurt me! PLLLEEEAAASSSEEE!


	28. Transformation

Everything was silent once the dragons stopped howling and they bowed their heads as well. The only sound heard was the water licking the shore, birds chirping in the distant, the crickets beginning to come out, and Astrid's soft crying.

Ruff looked up for a moment to see if the sad scene in front of her had changed at all but it hadn't. She went to hang her head when something caught her eye. She looked back up and saw that there was light coming from the water. When she looked around, she saw that light was also emerging from the little cracks in the rocks as well. But what really took her surprise was that the light seemed to be moving. Moving to where Astrid was holding a dead Dragon.

Ruff walked over to Astrid and quickly tapped her shoulder as she said, "Astrid. Look."

Astrid raised her head and looked up at Ruff with red eyes and dirty streams on her face where her tears had fallen. Ruff pointed in front of Astrid toward the water and Astrid followed her finger. She gasped when she saw the light gathering in front of them.

Astrid held Dragon tighter in uncertainty and everyone began to raise their heads to see what Astrid had gasped at. They all began to back away except for Astrid and Toothless as the light got brighter and brighter.

In one great flash that made everyone close or cover their eyes, the light turned into a person. In fact, a woman with long black hair and blue eyes. Her hair flowed as if it was in water and her eyes shone brighter than the sun. She looked around as she floated near Astrid and Dragon.

"I must say Berk," she spoke with authority and elegance. "You actually have change. You have learned your lesson. You are all cutting it close but nonetheless."

"Who are you?" Astrid asked.

The woman looked down at Astrid with a small smile. "I'm surprised you don't remember me Astrid. I did affect your life a lot."

Astrid looked at the woman and gasped, "Gothel! You're Gothel! The witch we executed a few years ago."

"Five years to be precise." She then turned to Stoick and floated over to him. Stoick in turn, averted eye contact, remembering he's the one that had her killed. "Look at me Stoick," she said gently. He did as he was told and looked at her.

He was expecting to see hatred and revenge in her eyes but he didn't see that at all. He saw sadness and pity but also happiness and joy.

"I never meant to harm you or your tribe. I sent the fish to a different area knowing you'd find a way to feed your people. I brought the blizzard knowing that your people would be able to get out safely. I burned your fields knowing you would be able to replant them and grow food."

"How?"

"I knew you would be safe because I knew that Dragon, as Astrid named him, would want you to be safe. I sent those disasters to give him an opportunity to help."

"What about the Outcast attack?" Gobber asked.

"That was not my doing. That was all Alvin but Dragon still did help did he not?"

"Did he Gobber?" Stoick asked.

"Aye. He did. He saved Astrid from Alvin. He was going to kill her."

"He also stopped the dragon raids," Gothel added.

"What?" Stoick and Gobber asked together.

"How?" Stoick asked.

"I guess we owe him another debt," Gobber said.

"You can ask him yourself," Gothel giggled.

"How? He's dead," Astrid said depressed.

Gothel floated over to Astrid and smiled sweetly. "Dear Astrid. You and Dragon are the last people I wanted to hurt."

"And what about Hiccup?" Astrid snapped. "Why did you kill Hiccup? Why did you make him pay? He was the only one kind to you all those years ago."

Gothel continued to smile sweetly. "I know that you're upset. You liked Hiccup. Wanted to get to know him better. I had to take him out of the situation. I couldn't have Berk take the easy way out now could I? They wouldn't be here right now feeling the way they do. But I never meant to hurt Hiccup."

"But you did hurt him."

"No I didn't. I just moved him somewhere else."

Astrid blinked. "You mean? He's alive?"

"No. Not at the moment."

"But where was he?"

"Here," Gothel gestured to the cove. "The entire time. Even if Berk didn't learn its lesson, I wasn't going to hurt him. He would live in a different world, a different place with no memory of where he was from."

"Oh. Can we please see him again before he goes away?" Astrid asked.

"But my dear, Berk has passed. Has learned its lesson. He will be back to stay till the day he dies naturally." Astrid was happy that she would finally get to see the boy who wrote the wonderful words about her. To see the boy who drew her with great passion and delicacy. But she was also worried. Worried to tell him face to face how she feels about him.

Gothel giggled. "Don't worry Astrid. He already knows how you feel about him. You've told him already."

Astrid looked up ready to asked her how when Gothel began to glow brightly, almost too brightly to see her. She began to chant as the light moved toward the ground.

"Berk's salvation, in your hands it will reside,

For it will be your enemy on the outside

Only when one with the strength to see beyond the skin

And learns to love for the beauty within

Will Berk's salvation be restored."

The light had engulfed Dragon and he suddenly was lifted from Astrid's embrace and into the air. The light began to dance around the black form and in the light there seemed to be shapes of other animals. Soon, the light took a shape and color that all of the Vikings recognized.

"Arvin Dale's Fire," Ruff whispered in amazement.

Dragon's wings then engulfed his body as the light began to twist and turn around him. His body seemed to kick and squirm, trying to get out of his cocoon. Eventually, his back paws broke out and everyone watched as the clawed paw turned into a white, five toed, foot.

Then Astrid noticed that his wings were becoming transparent, as if they were fading into nothing. She saw as his front paws turned from black scales to white skin and fingers. She also saw as his body began to shrink into a smaller, more human form. Just when Astrid thought that things were going to get a little uncomfortable, the blankets that she brought to cool Dragon down were caught up in the wind and danced around Dragon as well.

The dark scales on his head didn't change like the rest of his body did. In fact, they grew. They grew long and fell over his dragon face which soon changed as well. His face went from his flat, thin form to a more rounded and deeper shape. The color of his face was no longer black but was white and riddled with little brown spots.

The light stopped dancing around him as he was lowered to the ground slowly with the blankets acting like a bed. The parts of the blanket that didn't touch his body floated upward as if the wind was blowing up from the ground. He was put on the ground gently and his body turned away from the on watching crowd as the blankets covered him modestly.

"He'll be happy to be back to his old self knowing that people do love and care for him. He will always take care of you no matter what you thought of him or how you treated him," Gothel said as she descended. She then turned to Astrid and Stoick. "Take good care of him. He's destined for more than you can imagine."

With that she exploded into a million light dust particles and floated away. Everyone stood still in awe and confusion.

_What just happened? _Astrid asked herself. She was thinking for everyone when she asked that. She was the first to shake off the shock and slowly walked up to the dragon-turned-boy. She didn't know what to think. _Is he the same Dragon I fell in love with? Will he remain the same?_

Just when she was about to touch him, the boy moved and sat up. His back was still turned to everyone as he looked at his hands in shock. He ran his hands through his hair and a small giggle escaped from him.

"This," the boy gestured to himself. "has to be a dream."

Astrid stood there shocked. _That voice I've heard it before a long time ago._ She looked at the boy closer and saw that his hair had highlights of a lighter brown which added depth to his hair and that his small frame was covered in freckles. _Could it be?_

"Hi-Hiccup?" Astrid stuttered softly. She was afraid that she was wrong even though her heart said something different.

The auburn haired boy turned around and faced the shocked Astrid. She was still standing in front him and his head ended at her hips. He raised his head to look at the red eyes of Astrid but the sparkling ocean out shined the red. The ocean was quickly covered by a layer of salty water then drop by drop slide down her cheek.

"Astrid? You're crying. Please stop."

"I-I-don't know if I can," Astrid said as she began to tear up again. _He's alive! I can get a second chance to be with him. Really get to know him._

Hiccup looked at her shocked and confused. He shook his head several times as if trying to get something out of his head. He looked at Astrid then back down at the ground as if trying to understand something.

"You can understand me?" he asked. Astrid nodded her head. Hiccup took a second for everything to register completely. His human hands, Astrid understanding him. He was human again. "You can understand me. I'm me again." He thought for a second then frowned. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing."

"Yes it is," Astrid quickly interjected. She quickly walked up to him and knelt down. She grabbed his hands in hers as she said, "You're unique, funny, smart, talented, brave, determined, loyal, and strong. Whether you're a dragon or a Viking."

Hiccup looked at their hands entwined then looked at Astrid once again. He smiled his crooked smile and her heart soared. She only remembered his smile from a distance and from memory but she had never really seen his smile in this form. She had seen it when he was embarrassed, or when he was hiding from everyone but not in complete appreciation and loving emotion.

"Thank you Astrid for the kind words," Hiccup said softly.

"It's nothing. You were doubting yourself…"

"I wasn't talking just about right now. I was talking about the past several weeks," he said as he patted her hand.

Astrid's eyes widened as she understood what he meant. Her heart began to race and her breathing increased. _Oh my gods. That's what Gothel meant by I already told him._

"I won't say anything if you don't want. I will keep everything just between us. I promise."

"I told you my most inner feelings. You know my weakness. You-"

"I won't say anything. I promise," Hiccup said more firmly trying to calm her down.

"I know you won't. I just-this is too- oh whatever," Astrid stuttered and stumbled. She sighed and looked at the other pair of hands that were entwined with hers. Her heart began to race for a different reason and her cheeks began to red.

She wanted to tell him everything again. She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her. But there was one problem. She isn't one to tell people her feelings. How could she convey everything to him without messing everything up? There was only one way she could think.

_Should I? I've wanted to for so long. It's just a peck on the cheek right? That's it. Nothing to it. Why am I so scared right now? Will he like it? Maybe that's what I'm afraid of. Just go for it Astrid!_

Astrid leaned forward to go for it but chickened out at the last second and made it look like she was adjusting her position. She quickly convinced herself to go again but never did. Instead, she felt a hand leave hers and touch her face. She came back to reality to see what happened.

Hiccup had seen a debate going on in her eyes and the strange movement and put two and two together. He released her hand to place his hand on her cheek to show delicacy and caring. She seemed shocked by this action but melted into his touch. He rubbed his thumb under her eye to wipe away any residual tears and smiled sweetly at her.

He looked into her eyes and saw the continual battle in her mind as Astrid looked back into his. She saw that he was concerned and loving at the same time. She saw that he wanted to ask her what was wrong but didn't want to pry.

His hand left her cheek then lifted his hand and Astrid felt a flutter of disappointment hit her heart. She never wanted to lose that feeling he gave her. The feeling of safety and security. She wanted him to continue to hold her like he had but what he did made her heart flutter again.

He used his hand to push away her bangs out of her eyes while the tip of his fingers brushed the top of her forehead. Such a simple act made her shiver in delight. This is what she wanted in a Viking. Someone who could make her feel like the goddess of the world in a simple act. Only a hiccup could do that. Her Hiccup.

His hand then returned to her cheek and she tilted her head into it once again. She smiled at him and it was his turn for his heart to leap in his chest. He smiled back and unconsciously began to move his thumb in a circular motion on her cheek. She was determined now to kiss his cheek but once again it never came. Her lips never made contact with his cheek. She felt her body lean forward but it never made contact.

At the same moment that Astrid decided to kiss Hiccup, Hiccup made a decision of his own. With his hand on her cheek, he used little effort to bring her forward and close the space between them. He had a moment of self-doubt before he pushed everything aside and made contact with her lips. A surge of emotions ran through him. He was in Valhalla. It was everything he imagined and more. It was soft and sweet while strong and rough. It was like she let go of all of the things that she was afraid to show to people through this one action. He could feel her weakness, her love, her fear, her softness, her toughness, her strength, and her determination all at once.

Astrid, on the other hand, was having a similar experience. She was shocked and surprised the moment she made contact with his lips but then melted into it completely. She let all of her feeling flow through the kiss as did he. She felt his tenderness and compassion for her. She felt all of the things he's wanted to say to her through one action. She felt his love, compassion, as well as his respect, his admiration, his loyalty, his strength, his sympathy, his empathy, his understanding, his fear, his weakness, his gentleness. She had no idea what kissing him would feel like but the experience would put any of her imaginations to shame. He was soft and gentle, sweet and kind, with an edge of strength and uncertainty.

When Hiccup pulled away for a breath, Astrid didn't want it to end. She just sat there in a daze and slowly opened her eyes. She looked at him and tried to think of something to say.

"Wow," they both said at the same time. They didn't care that they had said it at the same time for they were still lost in their wonderful experience.

"Are you alright over there Astrid?" Gobber called.

"Who is it?" Stoick asked.

Astrid looked behind her and saw that all of the dragons had gathered around and blocked the scene from the Vikings. Astrid didn't know how long they had been blocking their view so she answered.

"I'm fine," she said still in a state of shock.

"Who were you talking to?" Stoick asked again.

"Whoever it was, he spoke back," Ruff said. "That much we do know."

Astrid motioned with her hands for the dragons to move aside and the Vikings came into view. She looked at them in disbelief and happiness.

"Well?" Snotlout asked. "Who is it?"

"It's-He's Hiccup," Astrid informed.

"What!" every Viking exclaimed. It couldn't be. Hiccup died five years ago.

Stoick was the first to stand next to Astrid and starred at the boy sitting down. Stoick knew immediately that he was his son but he looked different. His frame was still small but had filled out considerably. His hair was a bit longer than he remembered and many of his freckles had faded a bit on his face. He was a grown boy and not a bad looking one at that.

Stoick kneeled down and his eyes began to water a bit as he starred in disbelief. "Hiccup?" he said softly.

"Dad," Hiccup said with a happy smile and tears forming in his eyes as well. "I'm sorry for everything. I didn't-"

"No," Stoick interrupted. "I'm sorry for everything. I was rash, blind, and stupid. I had to lose you to see that. I'm sorry." Stoick leaned forward and embraced his long lost son in his arms and Hiccup greedily hugged back. He was happy to be back and in his father's arms. He didn't care if he was eighteen. Or was he twenty?

"This must be one of the weirdest days of my life," Gobber said. "First an Outcast attack, then accused of treason, then Hiccup coming back from the dead, who wasn't ever dead. Oh who cares? You're back and I have one great story to tell."

"Get over here Gobber," Stoick said. He let Gobber come closer and Hiccup initiated the hug which was just as wonderful as the one with his dad.

"Glad to have you back," Gobber said as he pulled away.

"It's good to be back."

"I'd hate to be a rain cloud on this great reunion and all but it's getting dark and he's not wearing a shirt," Ruff said.

Astrid, Stoick, and Gobber looked at Hiccup and saw that she wasn't kidding. Hiccup realized it too and turned red while he pulled the blankets closer. He could feel that he wasn't wearing pants either.

Astrid blushed a little thinking about the kiss that transpired between them. She then giggled a little as she said, "Well, I suggest we should get back to Berk. Come on. Wrap yourself tighter and let's get home." She held out her hand as she stood up and Hiccup looked at it with a panicked face. "What's wrong?"

"I'd love to _walk _back to Berk but…" Hiccup trialed off.

"But what son?" Stoick asked.

Hiccup thought for a second then sighed. He leaned down and grabbed the edge of one of the blankets and pulled it away to reveal a leg and a half. Literally. His left leg was missing while his right leg was completely intact. In fact, it looked like it had reopened and was bleeding badly once again.

"We need to get you back to Berk fast," Stoick said with a panicked voice. He went to pick up Hiccup when Astrid stopped him.

"Let me take him to Gothi," she said. "I can get there faster."

"How?"

She motioned to Stormfly who stood next to her. "With Stormfly. She can get Hiccup to Gothi in no time."

"Is it safe?" Stoick asked. "For you and Hiccup I mean?"

"Aye it is Stoick," Gobber said. "I've flown. It's perfectly safe. Stormfly will take care of them. I think." Gobber whispered the last part to himself. He'd flown Dragon who was actually Hiccup… _Ok. That's a weird thought. I trust Dragon but Stormfly? I wonder if Astrid's ever ridden Stormfly._

"Alright," Stoick said. He bent down and picked up Hiccup while Astrid motioned for Stormfly to lower herself so that Stoick could place Hiccup on her back. "Well, meet you at the village shortly."

"Yes sir," Astrid said as she jumped on behind Hiccup.

"Take good care of him," Stoick said addressing both Astrid and Stormfly.

"I will," Astrid said as Stormfly nodded.

"I'm not a complete invalid you know," Hiccup deadpanned.

Stoick laughed loud and strong. He hadn't heard Hiccup's sarcasm and quick comebacks for five years. He never thought that he'd miss that but now he could see that he was wrong. It was the most amazing sound he had ever heard. The most wonderful.

"I know son. I know. Take care. I'll see you in a few," Stoick nodded.

Stormfly took off and raced through the clouds. Dusk was upon them and both Astrid and Hiccup reveled in the peaceful sky. They had been on a similar journey not too long ago but that was when Hiccup was a dragon. This was different. They were both human and they both knew each other's feelings. As Stormfly flew through the sky, Astrid and Hiccup sat there in glorious wonder.

Hiccup then quickly noticed another feeling overtaking him. He tried to shake it off but it kept coming back quicker and harder.

"I didn't think there was much of a difference flying as a dragon than flying as a human," Hiccup said.

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked.

"I just don't remember getting so tired while flying. I can hardly stay awake," Hiccup said as his body hunched.

"You did have a pretty rough night."

"True," Hiccup said softly.

"What? I didn't hear you," Astrid called. She then felt Hiccup lean too far forward and she grabbed him and pulled him close to her. As she did that, his head fell back against her shoulder and saw that he had completely gone unconscious and that his face had gone extremely pale. She pulled the blanket up to try and keep as much body heat in when she felt something wet hit her hand. She looked down at her hand and where she touched the blanket and saw it was covered in blood.

Her heart began to race and her mind began to panic. _Oh gods. He can still die! No! No!_ She realized where the blood was coming from and knew that he had passed out from the lack of blood. She didn't have anything to stop the bleeding. Even if she did, she didn't know if she could bandage it on the back of a dragon. She thought of something else to do but realized she couldn't do much. Except for one thing.

"Stormfly! Faster! We're going to lose him again!"

* * *

I know a lot have been asking whether Dragon was Hiccup and well... NOW YOU KNOW! Aren't you happy for Hiccup? He's back and totally himself. Yeah! But it's not over yet.

Probably going to be a few more chapters to close it up. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	29. Father and Son

Here's a little Father/Son bonding. I figured they needed a good scene. hopefully I did it justice. One more day till HTTYD 2! I'm so excited!

ENJOY!

* * *

Hiccup woke up in a dark room that was also kind of smoky. He felt as if there was a weight on his chest and was too tired to try and lift it up or see what it was. His brain registered something from his left leg and he yelped in pain.

"Oh! Man! That really hurts! It's as if someone burned my leg," he said to himself.

"That's because that's what happened."

Hiccup turned to the voice and said, "Dad?"

"Yes it's me son," Stoick said as he walked around to the other side of the bed and grabbed Hiccup's hand. Stoick held it strongly and looked at his returned son. He still couldn't believe that he was there. That Hiccup was alive. He had been hurt for so long. So long that he thought that he'd never heal. But here he was, beside his son and the pain just went away. He was somewhat whole again. _Now if only Valka can come back._

Hiccup looked at his father. He seemed so old, like he had been carrying the world on his shoulders for too long. He saw the pain and happiness in his eyes. Hiccup's heart leaped for joy to see his father stare at him with such joy. He thought that he'd never see his father look at him like that. But here he was, at his bedside. He wasn't even sick. Well, sort of. His father was here and happy to see him. It's as if all of his wishes have come true.

Stoick then lifted his hand and slowly moved it toward Hiccup. Stoick hesitated for a moment. A dash of fear entered his mind. _What if this is all a dream? What if this isn't real? What if Hiccup isn't really here? What do I do then if that's true?_ Stoick's hand finally made contact with Hiccup's face and the fear melted away.

"You really are here," Stoick choked.

"Yes dad," Hiccup said as he leaned into his father's touch. He then went to lift his other hand to place if on top of his father's but felt that it wouldn't move. He was too tired to try and get it to move and decide to let it go. "I'm here."

"You had-I saw the blood in your room," Stoick said as a tear fell down his face. "I thought that a dragon had killed you."

"I know," Hiccup said as he began to tear up. He had seen the pain his father had gone through when he found his room topsy turvy. The transformation had been painful. Hiccup knew that the blood his father saw was his own. It's hard transforming into something that's twice your size and there most certainly will be blood involved. He wanted to tell him that he was alright but how could he? He was a dragon. He saw how much his father loved and missed him but still wanted him to show him personally. Now he had.

"You really are here," Stoick said again. He still was having a hard time wrapping his mind around that fact.

"Yes dad," Hiccup responded again. He was patient. He knew his dad had been through a lot.

"First I lost your mother and then I lost you," Stoick said as he freely let tears run down his face. "I didn't know what to do. I was lost. But you're here. I'm not going to lose you again."

"Dad. Everything's fine. I'm fine, I promise."

"I'm sorry," Stoick whispered.

"For what?"

"Everything. I'm sorry for everything. I wasn't the proper father I should have been. I should have cared for you for the way you were."

"Don't you mean are? I'm still the same person."

"Sorry. So used to the past tense."

"It's ok."

"No it's not. I tried to turn you into me. You were everything opposite of a Viking. You were different and I didn't know how to handle different. I thought that if I treated you like I was raised that you'd turn into the heir I thought the village needed." Stoick stopped for a second. He was never really good at telling his feelings, like every other Viking in Berk, but he had to let it out. Let his son know that he was trying. He was loved and cared for. He then sighed in frustration, "UH! If your mother was still alive, this…" he gestured to Hiccup. "would never had happened."

"You just gestured to all of me," Hiccup said.

"Yes," Stoick smiled. It felt good for him to smile again. He hadn't smiled once in five years. What was there to smile about? He had lost his world.

"But you're wrong," Hiccup interrupted his thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"You were a good parent. When I was a dragon, I looked back at everything you said, you tried to teach me and saw the importance of it all. Not to mention the love and care. Even then, I knew the importance of the lessons and advice, but I didn't see the emotional motivation behind it. I constantly thought that you hated me. That you wished I was more like Snotlout. But I also thought that you blamed…never mind."

"What? Blamed you for what?" Stoick asked. _What did he think I blamed for?_

Hiccup shifted uncomfortably. He didn't ever tell anyone why he thought his dad hated him. Why he thought his dad hardly spoke to him. He sighed and said, "I thought that you blamed me for mom's death."

Stoick stopped breathing for a minute. His heart skipped a few beats as is eyes went wide. _How could he think such a thing? _"That's not true. Why would you think that?"

Hiccup looked down to avoid eye contact. "Because I blame myself."

"Why? I don't understand."

"It was on my birthday dad. I thought that because…"

"Because she died on your birthday that you were the cause," Stoick shook his head. He didn't know that his four year old son had put so much guilt on his shoulders at such a young age. "I didn't help that theory did I?" Stoick asked remembering how he was always secluded and never spoke to anyone including Hiccup. "I ignored you. Hardly talked to you after that. I handed you over to Gobber. I'm so sorry Hiccup. I didn't want you to feel that way. I just didn't want you to see me like, um, well, this."

"No you didn't dad," Hiccup said. He saw the depressed and regretful look in Stoick's eyes and added. "But, I see now why. You were trying to protect me and save me from more grief."

"And I only added to it."

"You were trying to protect me from seeing my father in a weakened state. And I'm glad for that because I probably would have freaked seeing you like this."

"And why's that?"

"You don't look in tear stains."

Stoick looked up at Hiccup and saw that he was giving him a smile. Stoick ran the last couple of lines through his head and realized that Hiccup didn't mean it. Stoick slowly broke out up his cage of depression and smiled while laughing quietly. If that's even possible for a burly Viking like Stoick.

"Oh, son. It's good to have you back."

"That it is," another voice said.

Both Hiccup and Stoick looked to where the voice came from and smiled. "Gobber!" They both said.

"Oh! Don't do that!"

"Do what?" they asked.

"That. You both speaking at the same time. It's creepy. You two are definitely related."

Stoick and Hiccup looked at each other and began to laugh. Gobber smiled at the two. He was especially happy that Hiccup had returned and indirectly, so had his best friend. Stoick's world revolved around his family, even though he would never admit it, and to lose the only two members of that family, killed him inside. He loved Hiccup and Gobber knew it, even though he kept it secret from the village.

"Well, it's good to see you two laughing again. I don't think I've seen that since Valka was alive." He walked over to Hiccup and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome home."

"Thanks," Hiccup said. He shifted and suddenly remembered the pain in his left leg. "So why did you have to burn my leg again?"

Stoick and Gobber looked at each other in uncertainty. Gobber decided to take the helm on this conversation.

"We had to cauterize the wound to stop it from bleeding. Gothi had tried to stop it naturally with a cloth but it wouldn't stop. By the time we had gotten here, she had gone through all of her clean sheets."

"It was that bad?"

"That bad? Bad is an understatement. You could have died from blood loss. You were whiter than the clouds. Gothi made the decision that it would be the only way to give you a chance at living."

"I had to wrestle that Night Fury to the ground to stop him from tearing the place apart when you screamed in pain," Stoick shivered remembering the screaming like a horrible nightmare. He wanted to gorge his ears out of his head so he would never have to hear his son utter that sound ever again.

"Night Fury? Toothless! Is he alright? Is he ok?" Hiccup asked quickly.

"Aye, he's fine," Gobber said reassuringly. "Your father was able to convince him to stay in the house while you rested. It was already too crowded what with you, your father, and Astrid."

"Astrid? She was here?"

"What do you mean was?" Gobber asked.

"She's still here," Stoick said as he pointed to Hiccup's right side.

Hiccup looked and saw that Astrid was the weight he felt on his chest. Astrid had fallen asleep on his chest. Her face was still ridden with tear stains and blood. Her hair was matted and tangled while her braid was pretty much nonexistent. Her clothes were tussled and wrinkled but Hiccup didn't care. What got him was that she was asleep on his chest and holding onto his right hand as if it was the most precious thing in to world.

"How long has she been here?" Hiccup asked.

"Since she brought you to Gothi?" Stoick asked. Hiccup nodded and Stoick sighed in a way that reflected annoyance and appreciation. "Four days."

"How long ago did she bring me?" Hiccup asked astonished it had been that long.

"Four days ago," Gobber said.

"What?" Hiccup exclaimed. _She had been by my side the entire time? She never left? She's going to get sick._

"Not so loud son," Stoick whispered. "She finally fell asleep a few hours ago."

"We couldn't get her to leave willingly."

"I was on my way to forcibly remove her and order her to get some sleep when I found her like this. She had fallen asleep on you," Stoick said in a knowing fashion.

Hiccup blushed a little as he said, "Dad, please don't say it like that. It's a little uncomfortable, considering the circumstances."

"We all go through it Hiccup," Gobber said. "It's natural."

"Ok. You both just made this too awkward," Hiccup deadpanned. Gobber and Stoick smiled at each other and looked back at Hiccup. His eyes seemed to have drooped and his eyes had become distant.

Stoick got up and placed his son's hand on the side of the bed as he said, "We'll go now Hiccup. You need your rest. We'll see you again soon."

"Alright dad. I'll be right here."

"Let's go Gobber," Stoick said as he headed for the door.

"Bye toothpick," Gobber said. Hiccup smiled at the old name and his eyes fell back into a much needed rest. A lot had happened in those few minutes.


	30. A Family United

Hey Everyone! Here's the last chapter. I think I wrapped everything up. If you have any questions go ahead and ask. I'll PM you or if there is too much to explain or many people ask the same question, I'll add another chapter. But this one is pretty long. It's got Hiccstrid, Toothless and Hiccup bonding, past exposition, and little of Toothless' past. I might write a short story for that if enough people want to know the complete story.

Oh, and if anyone can catch the Star Wars parody quote, you get a virtual bag of Night Fury cookies. (I wish they existed. Idk. Maybe they do and I haven't found them yet.)

And one last shout out to all of you who have followed my story with such loyalty and through the torturous waiting periods. Thank you to those who have followed and favorited my story. And special thanks to everyone who left reviews. Thank you so much. They helped me continue and made me rethink some plot points. To those of you who said it was the Beauty and the Beast in the beginning or that it reminded you of that fairytale. Well, that's because that's the story that inspired me to write this. Along the way it kind of got away from me but I think it turned out fantastic.

I'm glad you guys enjoyed the story so one last thing before it ends. ENJOY MY FELLOW DRAGON LOVERS! Hopefully I'll see you soon.

* * *

Astrid was busy ringing out the wet cloth and replaced it on Hiccup's forehead. She had been doing this for quite some time. How long? She didn't care. All that mattered was the boy lying on the bed dripping from sweat. Astrid didn't care if she was tired again. She had gotten enough sleep.

_Was that a day ago? _She thought. _That's when they said Hiccup woke up. Right? _

The truth was, she had no idea what day it was. The days blended together like a smudged charcoal. Astrid grabbed Hiccup's hand while her other hand was occupied keeping the cloth on his face to try and cool him down. As she sat there, she thought back to how she started to dab his forehead.

She didn't hear Hiccup and Stoick confessing their feeling and hearts to each other. She didn't hear when Gobber came in and joined the conversation. She didn't even hear when Hiccup and Stoick laughed together. But she did hear something else. And feel.

_ She was awakened by a loud noise or a sudden movement that pushed her off of Hiccup's chest, which she didn't even know she fell asleep on. Instead, she woke up the feeling of sleeping on top of coals. In her hand, it felt like she was holding a wet cloth, and the noise in her ear was loud and hard. She felt her head rise and fall fast as the chest she was lying on rose and fell. She heard the labored breathing of the boy she was lying on._

_ She quickly woke up and raised her head to see that Hiccup's face and hair was drenched in sweat and that he was breathing really hard. She put her hand to his forehead and felt that his temperature was too hot to be any good._

_ She jumped up and ran to the door of Gothi's hut. "Gothi! Stoick! Gobber! Hiccup's getting sicker!" She ran back and sat back down beside Hiccup. She grabbed a cloth nearby and began to wipe some of the perspiration away from his face. Behind her, Gothi, Stoick and Gobber entered the room._

_ "What's wrong Astrid?" Stoick asked as he approached the bedside. His question was quickly answered when he saw the state of his son. "How long?"_

_ "I don't know," Astrid said. "I just woke up with him like this."_

_ Gothi was quickly examining Hiccup. She touched his head, opened his mouth, and looked at his severed leg. She thought for a second then hit the distracted Gobber with her staff._

_ "Hey!" Gobber furled his eyebrows. Gothi returned the look with one that said 'don't mess with me'. She then motioned to Gobber to come over then started to write in the dirt._

_ "What does she say Gobber?" Stoick asked._

_ "She says that Hiccup has contracted a fever," Gobber translated. "Apparently, it's a bad one too."_

_ "Will he be ok?" Astrid asked. Gothi shrugged and continued to write in the dirt._

_ "We can't do much for him," Gobber continued. "He has to fight it on his own."_

_ "Well, what can we do?" Astrid asked again. _

_ "We can," Gobber said as Gothi continued to scribble in the dirt. "only keep him comfortable and try to cool him off. That's pretty much it."_

_ "Ok," Astrid said as she grabbed a bowl and filled it with water. She immediately began to cool Hiccup down._

_ "How did this happen?" Stoick asked._

_ Gothi wrote in the dirt once again._

_ "An infection in his leg," Gobber said. "She thought that this might happen. Says it's not uncommon. Says his body is fighting it."_

_ "Will he make it?" Stoick asked._

_ "You know Stoick," Gobber said. "Rephrasing the question isn't going to give you a different answer."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "It's the same one that Astrid asked. And the answer's the same. We don't know. He'll have to be the judge of that."_

_ "I'm just…"_

_ "I know Stoick," Gobber said. "I am too, but he's in good hands." He gestured to a concentrating Astrid._

_ Gothi walked over to the counter and retrieved a cup and the jar of water. She then placed it next to Astrid and then began to shoo the two older Vikings out of the infirmary. There, Astrid began to take care of the ailing Hiccup._

Astrid sighed as she thought back to what Gothi, well more like what Gobber, said about Hiccup being the one to fight the fever. She knew he was strong but could he beat this?

_He's been through so much in the past few days. Dying, getting beat, shot, transforming, and now this? I don't know if his body can handle it. It would be tough for a bulky Viking._

She then felt her right arm be nudged. She looked down to see two emerald green eyes and a black, scaly face.

"I'm ok Toothless," Astrid smiled. "It's Hiccup I'm worried about."

Toothless cooed and moved closer to the bed to look at his friend. He knew that Hiccup was in a weakened state. He knew something was wrong. He could smell it, sense it. When Hiccup's grownup, didn't he call him father, came back to the house and said that Hiccup was worse, he had enough. He bolted through the door, not caring if it came off its hinges, and ran up to the hut Hiccup was placed in. The father and the other yellow scaled grownup had tried to get him out but he growled and pushed them away with his tail. He was careful to not harm them because they were special to Hiccup. How did he know? Because Hiccup told him so. He remembered Hiccup taking him near the village to point them out.

Toothless looked to his left and looked at the yellowed scaled female tending to his brother. He remembered Hiccup always talking about her. He could sense the importance of her as well to him. He knew she was important to his brother as well. Hiccup had pointed her out as well and he kept her look and sent close to him. That's why when he saw the other boy attack, he fired. He didn't care if the Vikings had hunted them and killed his kind for centuries. All that mattered was that his brother and those he cared for greatly were in danger and he was not about to let his brother get hurt. Physically or emotionally.

Toothless looked back at Hiccup and remembered when he first saw his Viking brother. Yes, he was the one that shot him down. Yes, he was the one that disabled him. Yes, he was the one that trapped him the cove but that all turned out to be ok. Soon that scrawny Viking became his friend and soon brother. That Viking made him fly again. And gave him something he hadn't had for such a long time. A family.

Toothless knew that he was probably one of the very few or last of his kind. He had a sibling. A mother. A father. But they were all taken from him and he was too young to do anything to help. He secluded himself from others and worked on just his survival but his human changed that. He saw that this human needed to be loved just as he needed to. Hiccup gave Toothless the love he graved and Toothless returned it by showing Hiccup the love and affection he craved. His human brother has changed him and he was internally in Hiccup's debt.

Toothless was greatly surprised when one day he saw his human then saw him as a dragon the next day. At first, Toothless thought he was looking at a reflection. He was completely surprised when the dragon called him Toothless. Only his Hiccup called him that. The dragon explained who he was and Toothless was quick to believe him. He saw the confusion, the fear, the excitement, the sadness, and the pain in his eyes and decided to try and help his brother cope with the transformation.

Toothless himself was completely ecstatic that he could now easily communicate with Hiccup. He told him so much of the dragon way but what he really wanted to get across was his forgiveness to Hiccup. He had also seen the guilt in Hiccup's eyes every time he or Hiccup mentioned his tail. Toothless constantly reminded him that he was happy it happened because he met his brother. Hiccup understood but nonetheless remained guilty about it. Hiccup told him of his family and more of his relationships with his father and the people of the tribe. Toothless didn't understand why Hiccup would stay in a place that didn't appreciate him. Hiccup said it was his duty to his people. Hiccup told him that no matter what they thought of him, he was still their heir and soon to be chief and he would protect them with everything he had. Toothless didn't really understand the human concept of duty and honor but Hiccup soon taught him.

Toothless looked back at the yellow scaled girl. Didn't Hiccup call it blonde? He saw what his brother was attracted too. Toothless didn't know if she was considered pretty in the human world but appearance didn't matter to him. He saw that she was kind, sweet, and caring. Just what Hiccup needed. But he also saw that she was strong, intelligent, and loyal. Also was Hiccup needed. If Hiccup chose her as a mate, he approved. There is no way he's going to let his brother have someone who wasn't worthy of him.

Unbeknownst to Toothless, Astrid was also remembering. She looked at Toothless and remembered Dragon Raids where villagers would yell 'Night Fury!' and 'Get down!' She remembered how afraid they were of Toothless. Of dragons in general. But here she was, sitting comfortably in the same room with the mighty beast. Too think that three months ago, she hated them and now she had a friend who was a dragon. She just couldn't wrap her head around the bizarreness of it all. She looked at Toothless and couldn't believe that Hiccup looked just like him. She just still couldn't believe that she was comfortable with Toothless. It was as if she had felt his presence before.

She then had a sudden memory of several times in the past year where it felt like she was being watched while she practiced in the woods. At first she thought it was Snotlout but that was quickly disproven. When Dagur started to become interested in her, she thought it was him but looking back now, she knew that not only was Dragon's presence familiar but also Toothless'. They must have been watching her from a distance. Any normal person would be creeped out but she wasn't. In fact, she was surprised. Not by Hiccup doing something like that…ok, maybe a little, but by Toothless do that.

_There has to be a reason why they were doing such a thing. Hiccup always has a reason for doing things._

They were both jolted out of memory lane when they heard an enchanting sound.

"Astrid? Toothless?" Hiccup said weakly.

"Hiccup!" Astrid said excitedly. Toothless bounded every which way and cooed with a large gummy smile. He then sprinted to Hiccup's side and began to nudge him with his head and Hiccup giggled.

"Alright. Alright bud. It's good to see you too," Hiccup said as he tried to calm his dragon down. Toothless was just too excited and put one of his paws on Hiccup but just in the wrong location.

"Aw," Hiccup groaned as he bolted up in pain. "Oh man. That was just bad placement." Hiccup stopped a second and listened to an angelic sound. He turned and saw Astrid giggling which turned into a good laugh. "Laugh it up."

"I think I will," Astrid said between breaths. She finally calmed down enough to ask, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. It was only painful for a second."

"Not that," she grinned. "I mean you're fever and your leg."

"Yeah. I feel better. But my head feels like it's been stuck in a bucket of water."

Astrid giggled again. "Well, between your perspiration and my dabbing, it's a wonder that you haven't drowned."

Hiccup smiled and asked, "That bad?"

"A little," Astrid smiled back. She looked at Hiccup and noticed that he looked a lot better than he did just a few seconds ago. "You look a lot better than you did a few seconds ago." She felt his forehead and noticed that the heat had gone completely away. _He broke his fever! Oh thank Thor!_

Hiccup cocked an eyebrow. "I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult."

"I didn't mean it that way. I'm just saying that you were…uh! Why do I ever open my mouth sometimes?"

"I'm kidding Astrid," Hiccup said as he place a hand on hers.

Astrid looked at him and saw the truth in his words. She smiled then lowered her eyes again. She looked Hiccup up and down in the corner of her eye until she landed on his leg. She got uncomfortable. She wanted to ask how that happened but she knew it wasn't right.

"Guess you can call me peg leg now," Hiccup said noticing her uncomfortableness. He tapped her hand as to get her attention. When she looked up he smiled. "It's okay."

"How-" she started but couldn't finish.

"I really don't know," Hiccup said. "Might have something to do with the fact that as a dragon, I lost my left tail fin. Just like Toothless. I guess I couldn't go back to my normal self without some sort of wound." He turned to his Night Fury friend and petted his nose. "Isn't that right bud? Now we're equal."

"How did you lose your tail fin? Did someone shoot you down?" Astrid asked.

"No. That's how Toothless lost his tail fin. I shot him down. No. Actually I lost mine doing something really stupid."

"And befriending a Night Fury wasn't?" Astrid asked. "You already did that."

"Ok. It was crazy."

"What did you do?"

"Well," Hiccup started. He ran his hand through his hair and placed it on the back of his neck. "Oh man, if my dad ever hears of this, he'll never let me out of the house again."

"Hear what?" said person asked. Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless turned to see the chief and Gobber standing in the doorway.

"Da da duh! I'm dead," Hiccup deadpanned.

"No," Stoick said. "But you did give it your best shot." He walked over and stood next to Astrid on her right as Gobber stood on her left.

"So," Gobber said. "How long has he been awake?"

"A few minutes," Astrid said. "I would have come to you two but-"

"She was busy laughing and insulting me," Hiccup smiled. Stoick and Gobber looked at each other and Astrid looked at him in disbelief. "Well, in all honesty, I was being stupid which was causing her to laugh and her insults were pretty amusing. So in a way we both were laughing at each other."

"Basically," Astrid said. "We were distracting each other."

"Thank you for summing that up," Hiccup nodded.

"Ookkaayy," Gobber said.

"Now," Stoick changed the subject. "What didn't you want me to hear?"

"How he lost his tail fin and foot," Astrid said."

"Thanks Astrid," Hiccup sighed. He looked at Stoick and at Gobber, seeing that they weren't leaving he sighed again and started to explain. "A few days after I became a dragon, I heard this voice in my head. It was pulling me somewhere and I couldn't fight it. I flew to where it told me and soon found myself inside this large mountain."

"You went to the nest?!" They all exclaimed.

"If you want to call it that. It wasn't a happy one that's for sure. The other dragons were terrified."

"Of what?" Stoick asked.

"Their Queen. It was the biggest dragon I had ever seen. She was almost as big as the mountain itself. I saw why every dragon feared her. A Gronkle had come in after I did and dropped on small fish down in the hole…"

"Dropped fish in a hole?" Gobber asked.

"Yeah."

"Why?" Astrid asked. "Why didn't it just eat it?"

"It's the reason why they raided us in the past. They had to bring enough food back to feed the Queen. If they didn't, they got eaten themselves. They raided us because we had a ready supply of fish and sheep for them. Trying to hunt to feed themselves and their families and the Queen just couldn't be done all the time. Some days they could catch enough and some they couldn't. That's why they didn't raid us every single night."

"That makes sense," Gobber said.

"What does this have to do with your missing leg?" Stoick asked.

"Well, um, you see, uh, apparently, the Queen wasn't too happy with us trying to find her nest or that we even lived so close so um well…"

"Well what?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup looked at Toothless who gave him a reassuring coo. Hiccup sighed again and turned back to his awaiting audience. "She was planning on destroying Berk."

"What?" they all exclaimed.

"Why didn't she? We never had a giant dragon attack," Astrid said.

"We stopped her," Hiccup said.

"We?" Stoick asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Toothless had to be carried by Stormfly and the others but we all went and put an end to her."

"How?" Gobber asked.

"Well, for starters, we didn't go into the mountain. That made her mad. When she came out to see why we weren't coming in and found out we didn't have any food, she was livid. I was hoping she would be uncontrollably mad."

"That was a stupid idea," Gobber said.

"I didn't say it one of my better plans but it worked. It made it easier for us to attack with her in that rage. I even had the other dragons use our methods of defeating them on the Red Death."

"Our methods?" Gobber asked.

"Red Death?" Stoick asked.

"That what the dragons started to call the Queen after this debacle," Hiccup explained answering his father's question. He then turned to Gobber to answer's his. "Our methods. You know find their blind spot, use noise to throw it off, and so on."

"Oh. I didn't think you were listening. Always asking about Night Furies and everything."

"Well, I was still technically learning when I was asking those questions."

"He's got a point," Astrid said.

"Anyway," Hiccup continued. "I didn't know if it could fly so I got it up into the sky. There I hid in the dark clouds and blasted her wings, which didn't seem to do anything until she tried to stop from plunging into the closing ground."

"How did she not see it?" Astrid asked.

"She was determined to finish me off. Her focus was on me so when I turned around and blasted the gas she was building up, she was taken by surprise. She was even more surprised when she saw the ground closing on her quickly after I flew out of the way. Toothless blasted her wings again constantly to lessen the possibility of her stopping in time and it worked. She hit the ground with a giant thud and a fireball of an explosion. I wasn't prepared for such an explosion. I tried to get away only to be hit by her tail still coming down. I really don't remember what happened after that. I just remember waking up in the cove with Toothless and a missing tail fin."

"Wow," Astrid said.

"That's what the witch meant," Gobber said.

"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked.

"She said that you had stopped the dragon raids," Stoick explained.

Hiccup thought for a second then nodded. "I do remember them stopping their raids after that. I didn't think anything of it at the time."

"Thank you," Astrid said.

"I told you it was stupid," Hiccup said to Astrid.

"And crazy," Astrid added. "But it was all completely a Hiccup plan."

"So true," Gobber said.

"That is one amazing story son," Stoick said. "You did a good job."

"But it wasn't just me," Hiccup said. "It was Toothless and Stormfly and the others. I didn't do it alone."

"I know. I know," Stoick said. "But I'm also very proud of you."

Hiccup smiled and his heart swelled. He finally heard the words he waited for so long to hear. "Thanks dad."

Stoick smiled brightly at his son. He knew that his son had the Viking spirit. He just didn't know he was going to show it in this way. Behind him, the door was opened and Spitelout walked in.

"Stoick," he said. "Mildew's fussing about the dragons again."

"Aright, I'm coming," Stoick said as he walked towards Spitelout.

"You're awake Hiccup!" Spitelout exclaimed. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks Spitelout," Hiccup smiled. He was glad to see his uncle care for him like this. They always seemed to be on opposite ends of everything.

"I'll tell Snotlout and the other kids you're doing better," Stoick said.

"Yes," Spitelout agreed. "They have been pestering me for too long. I'm about to snap."

"Alright then," Gobber said. "Let's go and tell everyone before someone gets killed."

With that, Gobber, Stoick, and Spitelout left the room leaving Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless alone once again.

Astrid looked at Hiccup and just thought about the story he just told them. She wasn't even there but a feeling rose inside her that she didn't like. An impulse then came over her that she couldn't control. She raised her right hand and clenched it into a fist and swung at his right arm making contact.

Hiccup was taken by surprise and cluched his fight arm while Toothless growled at her. "Hey! What was that for?"

"That was for scaring me!"

"I'm sorry if my body needed to fight something."

"I wasn't talking about that." She then grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards her. She quickly sealed her lips on his before he could say anything. He was taken by surprise again but then just went with it. In the back of his mind, he was worried of Astrid getting sick but Astrid didn't care. Astrid pulled away and saw a very stunned Hiccup.

"That was for everything else."

"Well," Hiccup stuttered as Toothless relaxed. "I need to get into danger more often."

"Don't you even dare!" Astrid scowled as she raised a fist again.

Hiccup raised his hands in defense and said, "Kidding! It's not fun getting sick or almost dying." He then turned to Toothless and said. "It's ok bud. She's not going to hurt me. I think."

_But she already did._

Hiccup's eyes went wide and he shook his head. "Yea but it's her way of communicating."

_I don't care. I'm not going to let you get hurt again. _Toothless then stopped his growling and looked at Hiccup in confusion. _You answered me._ Hiccup nodded. _But you're human. _

"What's going on?" Astrid asked.

"I can still understand what Toothless is saying," Hiccup said.

"What?" Astrid exclaimed.

_I don't understand. I thought that we wouldn't be able to communicate after you turned back into your human self._

"I didn't either. Maybe I spoke it for so long that I can understand it still."

Toothless thought for a second then bounded up and down in joy. _I'm so glad that we can. Now we can communicate better with your people._

"I would like to think of you as part of our people," Hiccup gestured to Astrid and himself.

_Wow. I never thought I'd have a complete family again._ Toothless walked over to Astrid and nudged her arm and she lifted it to pet his head. _Thank you. Both of you. _

"You're welcome Toothless," Hiccup smiled.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked.

"He's thanking you for giving him a family," Hiccup explained.

"How did I do that?"

_You helped your people see who we are. Because of you, I can freely stay with Hiccup. I also want to think of you as a sister. You remind me a lot of mine._

Hiccup's mouth fell open. "You have a sister?"

"Sister?" Astrid asked.

"Toothless said that you remind him of his sister. That you helped make it possible for him to be with me freely."

Astrid turned to Toothless and smiled. She placed both hands under his chin and lifted his head to meet her eyes. "You are welcome. But without you Hiccup wouldn't have made such a great friend. He wouldn't have made that amazing tail. He wouldn't have stopped the Red Death. And without you, neither myself nor Hiccup would be here at the moment. So it's I who should be thanking you."

Toothless cooed and nudged his head on hers. _You're welcome._

"He said you're welcome," Hiccup translated. Toothless walked back to Hiccup's side and sat down. "But what about this sister? Maybe there's more of you out there."

_I had a sister. I really don't like talking about what happened._ Toothless bowed his head and lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup said. "I won't pry any further."

"Is he alright?" Astrid asked. "What's wrong?"

"Something bad happened to his sister."

"Oh. Ok. I'm sorry." She looked at Toothless in empathy. She had lost family members too and so did Hiccup. They all had the same understanding of that feeling. She then looked up and asked, "Have I seen Toothless before?"

"What do mean?"

"I mean, I've felt his presence before in the woods I believe."

"I did point him out to you."

"Oh. Did he ever come back on his own?"

"I don't know. Toothless?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless nodded. _I did. To make sure she was okay. She's important to you. I didn't want you to get hurt._

"Thanks bud but I think you freaked her out a bit."

"I wasn't freaked out. Just curious." She then thought of another question. "If I thought you were Toothless," Astrid pointed to Hiccup and Toothless. "And you weren't, then where was Toothless the entire time I was with you?"

"Uh. Well," Hiccup looked at Toothless. "Is it alright if I tell her?"

_Yes. It's dealt with. He won't be coming back here or anywhere ever again._

"Well, Toothless has a bit of a past just like everyone. Anyway, a few days before you met me, he left to deal with a character from his past."

"What character?"

"A Whispering Death. Apparently, something happened between them, he won't tell me, and somehow Toothless found out he was coming towards Berk looking for him. He left to meet him away from Berk and deal with him."

"Oh. Apparently everything went ok. You're here aren't you?"

_You can say that. _Toothless sighed. _Didn't think it would take that long._

"All that matters is that you came back in time and safe," Hiccup said as he petted Toothless' nose. Toothless in return gave him a very big gummy smile.

Astrid smiled at the chemistry between the two. They were so similar. Now seeing how Toothless acted, she thought that Hiccup acted the same way as Dragon. Hiccup nudged her, gave her a gummy smile, cooed, was protective of her, and bounded with joy. She then thought of another question. "Hiccup. Why did you let me read your journal?"

Hiccup blinked a few times. "Man. You're full of questions right now."

"Sorry. Just trying to make sense of everything."

Hiccup replied. "I know what you're thinking. I let you read it so that you can see what I thought of you. How horrible my life was."

"Not really. Just a bit curious. You sat there and read it with me too. So why did you let me read it? It was your inner feelings."

"In all honesty, I thought I was going to die. I didn't think that Berk would change. I thought they would forget and not take the curse seriously. I let you read it so that someone could know the real me. So that I wouldn't be forgotten. Besides, you're reasons weren't vindictive or trying to see how un-Viking I was. It was the same reasons why I let you read it. I was going to take it away but it was your reasons that stopped me."

"Well, thank you Hiccup. I was nice getting to see the real past you."

"You didn't finish it though. If you want to continue, you have my permission."

"What for? I have the real deal right here. I don't need to read your past. I'll learn it from you now. I'll return it."

"Thanks Astrid." Hiccup looked at Astrid in the eyes deeply and just lost himself in their beauty. They weren't watering anymore, there wasn't any displeasing emotion getting in the way. It was just Astrid. Unbeknownst to him, Astrid was going the same thing and thanking the gods and Toothless for bringing back Hiccup in his entirety.

Toothless rolled his eyes. _Oh just, what did you call it? Oh Just kiss her already!_

Hiccup was pulled out of his trace and turned to Toothless with an annoyed face. "You're not helping."

Toothless chuckled deeply at Hiccups reaction. He then saw the confused look on Astrid's face and chuckled harder. He's going to have a great time and share many adventures with his new family.

Astrid started to giggle at the chuckling Toothless and the annoyed expression on Hiccup's face. "I don't know what he said but your reaction was funny," she said pointing at Hiccup. "What did he say?"

"You want to know?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes."

"Alright," Hiccup grinned. He raised his right hand and placed in on Astrid's left cheek then pulled her closer to him. He quickly closed the gap and kissed her directly on the lips. Once again, they both fell into the wonder and beauty of their connection. It wasn't at all like the first kiss but it was still magically different. Hiccup pulled away and said, "That's what he said."

"And do you always take orders from Toothless?" Astrid grinned.

"No."

"Good. Cause neither do I." She then grabbed him and kissed him back just as passionately.

Toothless rolled his eyes and quietly walked out of the room. He opened the door and placed himself outside in front. _Don't want those two to be interrupted. That is quite rude. He had better, what did he call it? Propose? Yeah propose soon because kissing isn't going to cover it._

In the back Toothless mind he couldn't wait to see hackling Hiccups.


End file.
